Emptyland: Summer Edition

I’m calling this my Summer Edition of Emptyland because it covers all my empties from June, July, and August. To be honest, I’ve been lazy with skincare over the summer because I just moved, I had some tough times times with my chronic illnesses, and was generally short on time and sleep. And yet again, a very late Empties post; this series should be called Alice in LATE-land, haha.

I’m definitely trying to take better care of my skin now, and not skipping my skincare routine steps!

Instead of listing out every single product and rating each one, I’ll divide them into categories and highlight my favorites and point out if there’s something I’m tossing without finishing. Ratings will still be provided for samples and whether or not they will be purchased. This is in the interest of time, and also my own personal preference. I am keeping track of what I’m using up to hold myself accountable to actually using up products before opening up new items (and to halt my terrible habit of hoarding products forever).

Skincare

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During a Buy One, Get One Free sale at the Saem store, I bought a bunch of products from their Urban Eco line. I love these products so far! The only thing I disliked was the cheap packaging; my toner bottle cap broke when I was only half way through the bottle (and I never dropped it).

In addition to these Urban Eco products, a calendula product from The Face Shop and my first Boscia product made their way to my Emptyland.

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Above, you’ll see all the makeup wipes/cleansing wipes that I used up. These are all repeats since I’ve repurchased both of these products before. They don’t remove eye makeup that well, so I use both of these as daily cleansing wipes before I shower, and to remove BB cream or tinted moisturizer.

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And of course, I need to group my lip care empties together! My mom gave me those Chapsticks a year or so ago, and I finally used them. They give average moisture; it was fine during the summer, but I don’t think they would hold up well in the winter when my skin is so much drier. The Blistex lip serum was a decent product, but I don’t think I’d ever re-purchase because I didn’t notice any significant benefits.

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I didn’t use sheet masks as much as I usually do since I started trying sheet masks… I do want to use them more often, but it’s already November now and I can tell already that I’m barely using sheet masks as it is. I think part of the issue is time: I feel like I never have enough time. I’ve been using sleeping masks more often because I can apply them after my moisturizer at night, and wash my face in the morning.

And of course, you see my one empty packet of the Acne Pimple Master Patch from Cosrx. Love it!

Bodycare

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For body care, a highlight is the Dove shower foam: I love the feel of this foam, and you don’t need a pouf or sponge! Also, Aveeno is a great body lotion.

Haircare

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For haircare, I wasn’t a big fan of the Garnier Whole Blends leave-in conditioner. I used it up, but it didn’t do much for my hair pre-bleaching or post-bleaching.

For the Aprilskin Turn-Up Color Treatment: I thought it worked great for replenishing the pink in my hair color, but it was expensive (over $10 for a tube that only lasts 1.5 applications). It’s also not a dye, so it washes out. If you have longer hair, one tube may not even be enough for you to apply for your whole head. The second time I applied it, there was only enough for me to apply around my roots.

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The results of the hair treatment

Sample / Travel Size

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And the only empties from my samples are the Caudalie La Crème Yeux and the Dr. Jart Dis-a-pore BB cream. I didn’t finish the Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion product because it irritated my skin. It’s so hard to find an exfoliator that doesn’t irritate my skin… If anyone has recommendations, let me know!

Also, that BB Cream really needed to be tossed because I’ve had it since THIS POST from 2016.  Took me forever to finish it since I was using other BB cream products too. Oops.

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Emptyland: Moving Edition!

This is a special edition of Emptyland because it covers March, April, and May! I moved in May, so I figured I’d prepare for a big Empties post before I move and also purge my old collection of half-used things that should have been tossed a long time ago (I am a makeup hoarder… I know, it’s bad!).

It’s already July, and I know this post is way over-due. What with starting a new role at work, dealing with health issues, a very busy schedule, and adjusting to the move, I haven’t had time to devote to my blog. For the rest of the year, I definitely want to blog more regularly! Feel free to let me know what you’d like to see too. ^_^

So here is the purge of things that have been used for a long time and I just held onto: most are unfinished, but some have been finished (like the BB cushion!):

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I’m pretty sure I’ve had that makeup brush set since high school… Yikes. I clean them (sort of) regularly, but it’s been many years and it was time for them to go. They were surprisingly good quality too! I got them from Costco forever ago (Kirkland Signature!). I wish I could use up that MAC highlighter too (literally the only MAC product I have), but again, I’ve had it for forever (since 2012 or 2013 I think), so even though I still haven’t used it up and I love the product, it’s time for me to let it go. I really need to learn to stop hoarding and start tossing. I don’t even want to share how long I’ve had those two Lancôme quad eyeshadow palettes… My mom got it from one of those gift sets when I was a little kid, but she never uses makeup, so she gave it to me toward the end of high school, and I’ve used them ever since. Same goes for that Clinique dual eyeshadow palette (again, a hand-me-down from my mom from forever ago). The Too Cool for School UV pact is something I didn’t use up but also didn’t really care for. I got it on clearance, but it was really cakey every time I applied it.

See below for sheet masks and more! Of course, those Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches always show up. I didn’t use them that often since my acne hasn’t been too bad. I am pretty sure the two step cleansing has been helping! And maybe also stress management. I’m positive I get stress-induced acne.DSC_0552

Next up: cleansers! I didn’t finish using the Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. I’m not sure if I got a defective bottle or if that’s how this product normally smelled, but it smelled horrific. I tried to use it, but could not stand the smell and had to stop. The other two cleansers were totally fine though!

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Check out more skincare items for this big Emptyland. I used all of these items up completely! The MVP I want to highlight here is Aquaphor. This ointment works so well on dry, chapped lips, and honestly, for any skin that feels really dry.

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The Innisfree items get their own photo since Innisfree has a program where you can return the empty bottles to earn points. Yay for recycling! I still need to bring these into the store to recycle… They’re currently stashed in my drawer at work.

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Stay tuned for the June and July Emptyland post, and I’ll hopefully be able to get back to regular blogging. I have a K-beauty skincare product review I wrote a long time ago that I realized I’ve never posted, so that will be posted soon enough. Also working on a new review, and I haven’t forgotten about the Taobao guide series. One of my friends also asked me to write a guide for ouji/kodona/EGA fashion. I don’t really wear those styles much myself, but I do stalk the designs quite often… I’m addicted to adding stuff to my online shopping cart and then not buying them (because they’re not in my budget TT_TT).

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Emptyland: May/Jun 2017

Wow… sorry for this late post. It’s already August! I’ve been so busy with work that I have barely had blogging time. Better late than never though!

In this Emptyland, I’m adding a category for Sheet Masks since they’re one time use. It’ll be easier to organize this way rather than lumping all the masks with the Skincare section.

Here’s the rundown for what the stars represent: [ ☆ = Most negative/Not good at all, ☆☆ = Not that good, but okay ☆☆☆ = Neutral/No opinion/No answer, ☆☆☆☆ = Great, ☆☆☆☆☆ = Most positive/Fantastic! ] I’ll also include my experience with each product, but the detail I go into for each product may vary.

Skincare

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COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch – 24 patches

Return of this item… x2 yet again! I wonder if I’ll be consistent using one pack each month. You can read my initial response to this product in my first Emptyland post. I really like how easy they are to use. They’re not miracle workers, but they do help my acne.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes!

Tonymoly Timeless Ferment Snail Emulsion – 140 mL

I bought this at the same time as the foam cleanser and full-size face cream (and eye cream sample) from the same series, which you can see in my first Emptyland post and my last one. There was a sale at a local Tonymoly store, and that’s why I bought these snail things to try. This emulsion is creamy enough to use as a summer moisturizer without a cream on top, so I used this day and night to moisturize my skin. At night time, I sometimes used a night cream on top as well. When my skin felt very dry (I have combination skin, and my cheeks tend to be dry), I used a sleeping pack for added moisture before bed. It was a decent emulsion, but I didn’t think it was amazing. The packaging was also flimsy (top part kept coming off), and the pump didn’t work too well during the latter half of its life, and it was really difficult to get the emulsion out from the bottom.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe! Full price is too high for my experience with it, so I’d only repurchase if it was on sale again.

Lancôme Bienfait Multi-Vital Night – 50 g

I’ve been using this night cream on and off since college. I know, it’s bad. My mom gave it to me years ago and it’s pretty luxurious. A little bit goes a long way, so it lasted me a really long time. I don’t think I’d call this a holy grail night cream since I haven’t used it consistently enough, but I do love this series. The cream easily absorbs into the skin, is super moisturizing, and has never caused a breakout or irritated my skin. It smells pleasant, and I love the day cream from this series too (which you can see in this Empties post). I’m curious to try other Lancôme cream products.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe! I want to try another Lancôme cream.

Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam – 125 mL

I used this before, and I’m not quite sure why I repurchased it to be honest. I really wanted to get rid of my acne, but didn’t know which one to try. And two people had recommended this product, so I gave it a try again. It didn’t irritate my skin, but it did make my skin feel dry. I tried to apply this cleanser only to my t-zone, and used a different cleanser for the rest of my face. I didn’t see much of an improvement with my acne, but it did stop new acne from popping up. Right now, I have acne on my forehead, between my eyebrows, on my right cheek (probably because I always sleep on my right side or on my belly), and a few on my chin/jawline. It’s not terrible, but I do want to get rid of them. Recommendations for acne products to try would be appreciated!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? No. Going to try other products and find one that works.

Tonymoly Fresh Cleansing Tissue

I picked this small pack up from the same sale at a local Tonymoly that I snagged my first snail products from. I brought this with me when I was on the go (at conventions), and it was decent for removing face makeup. It didn’t remove any eye makeup, so I had to use a separate eye makeup remover.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe.

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Burt’s Bees Face Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract 

This tiny pack was on sale at Walgreens and was $1.49 for 10 pre-moistened towelettes. Same as the Tonymoly ones above, it worked for removing face makeup but not eye makeup. I liked these towelettes more than the Tonymoly ones though; they were really refreshing and the texture of the sheets were so soft.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe.

Blistex Five Star Lip Protection

This is my favorite lip balm! It’ll definitely keep reappearing in Emptyland. Check out its first appearance in this Empties post.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

Sheet Masks

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Tonymoly I’m Real Aloe Mask Sheet Moisturizing

Love this sheet mask! Definitely feel the moisture, and it’s a pleasant scent. It stays on my face pretty well too. I noticed that these Tonymoly masks fit my face really well — the eye holes are actually in the right places! I’m not sure if my face is weirdly shaped or what, but most sheet masks do not fit my eyes or nose.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

The Saem Natural-Tox Apple Mask Sheet

I hated the scent of this sheet mask… It smelled so fake (like apple-flavored medicine or artificial apple flavor candy). The sheet mask didn’t irritate my skin, but I kept it on for less than ten minutes because I disliked the scent so much.

Overall Rating: ☆ // Repurchase? No

The Saem Natural-Tox Kohlrabi Mask Sheet

This sheet mask had a much more pleasant scent than the Apple one above. It was a mild scent, which is totally fine. I kept the mask on for 10 minutes, but the essence from the mask was not easily absorbed into my skin. It was overall a pleasant experience though, so I wouldn’t mind using this mask again even if the essence felt heavy.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

The Saem Natural-Tox Carrot Mask Sheet

This is very similar to the mask above. The scent was slightly different, but again, very pleasant compared to the apple one. I’m not sure why the apple one had such a strong smell. I would use this carrot mask again!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

The Yeon Cucumber Mask

Two of these were used during the past two months! I had used them two weeks in a row. This mask has a mild and pleasant scent. The sheet itself fits terribly on my face since the eye holes are way too wide set for my eyes, and I have to squish the nose section inwards for it to fit. This makes the mask uncomfortable to apply for me.

Overall Rating: ☆☆ // Repurchase? No

Etude House Lotus 

I love this sheet mask! The scent is lovely, and the sheet mask fits my face pretty well. The essence in the mask is just the right amount — not too much, but doesn’t feel dry after 10-15 minutes. I like the texture of the sheet and the essence is easily absorbed.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

The Face Shop Kelp

I like this sheet mask a lot. I don’t think it smells like kelp though (although that might be a good thing, since I don’t know if smelling like kelp is my goal). I didn’t notice any particular difference to my skin after using it, but it was a pleasant experience.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

The Face Shop Red Ginseng

This mask, unlike the kelp one, actually does smell like red ginseng! I love red ginseng and drink red ginseng tea almost everyday in the wintertime. During summer, I don’t, but I figure it’s fine for my qi to use red ginseng on my skin since it wouldn’t be going into my stomach. I find the scent of ginseng to be very relaxing, so this was the best 10 minutes of my night.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

Suncare

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Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 55 – 88 mL

This is my mom’s favorite sunscreen; she always uses the Neutrogena ones. I like these because they’re moisturizing and have a lightweight feel. They’ve never irritated my skin, and I’ve used them on both my body and my face. I don’t use them on my face anymore though, since when I sweat, it stings when it gets in my eyes. I’ve never been sunburned when I use this properly!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

L’Oréal Advanced Suncare Silky Sheer Lotion 30 – 88 mL

I got this from T.J. Maxx or Marshall’s (can’t remember which store) a while back, and finally used it. It’s decent, but I prefer the texture of the Neutrogena one. It does the job, but I don’t see myself repurchasing it. I’ve never used it on my face.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? No

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L’Oréal Sensation Peau Nue Fluide Visage Très Haute Protection – 50 mL

I bought this when I studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland in 2015… so yes, this is really old. I finally used it up. I only applied this sunblock to my face, and it’s a very watery texture but never irritated my skin. It took a long time to absorb and was a bit streaky, which are both cons. I would prefer something creamier over something so liquid-y.

Overall Rating: ☆☆ // Repurchase? No

Makeup

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Sephora Natural Vitamin C + E Blotting Papers

No joke: I’ve had this pack for years. I used them throughout college when I did outdoor photoshoots in the heat, or at conventions when I was in cosplay. I’m bad at blotting otherwise (and even at cons or shoots, I’m sometimes too lazy to blot). There’s 100 sheets in here, I think? It doesn’t say on the package which is odd. But they’re made in Taiwan, which is interesting to note! These blotting papers worked well, but not as well as I would have liked. I usually tried to use one sheet, but it made more sense to use at least two sheets to blot my whole face since the sheet would start tearing apart.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? No

Sephora x Craig & Karl Long-Lasting Felt Eyeliner

This was a fantastic eyeliner! It was a slick black color, easy to apply, and lasted pretty long. Toward the end of its life, it was difficult to use and the ink didn’t come out consistently. I used it without eye primer, and it was fine for normal wear. I have others from this set I haven’t finished using up since they are in other colors and I use black the most often.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? N/A (I am pretty sure this was from a limited edition set)

Syzygy Dual Turn Eyeliner 

This is a Korean brand, but it’s made in Germany. I was really disappointed in this eyeliner to be honest. I got it from KCON 2016 because I forgot to bring anything to touch up my makeup with and when I ripped off my false lashes from irritation, my makeup got totally messed up. This eyeliner didn’t provide consistent ink flow, so it was difficult to draw a line. The tip was also hard (not comfortable), and the eyeliner dried out really quickly.

Overall Rating: ☆ // Repurchase? No

Lancôme Maquiriche CremePowder EyeColour Duo

This was one of the ones my mom gave me from the free gifts Macy’s usually offers for Lancôme purchases. This is really old; I think my mom gave it to me back in high school. Finally tossing it since the case broke. It comes with two brushes, but I lost one of them. There’s a nice light brown shimmery eyeshadow and a dark brown shadow/liner. Toward the end of my time using this, I used the dark brown one to draw a fake eyelid crease onto my lid for cosplay since it was a nice matte brown and the thin brush it came with (which I lost), made drawing it easy.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? N/A

Body Care

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Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Hand Therapy – 100 g

I love the scent of this hand cream! But then again, I always love rose scents and rosewater scents. It wasn’t as moisturizing as I would have liked though, and the consistency wasn’t as creamy as I had expected. I got this on sale; I would never pay full price for it to be honest.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Therapy – 25 g

Not sure why this is more creamy than the one above, but maybe it’s because of its “ultra-moisturizing” tag? The lavender scent is lovely, and I like how small the size is. It can fit in my purse pocket! I guess this technically belongs in the travel size section, but I got this in a box set with other Crabtree & Evelyn minis. It was pleasant to use but not a miracle worker. It didn’t help the dry patches around my middle finger at all (I’ve been dealing with this section of really dry rough skin for a long time).

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Sample / Travel Size

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Shiseido Bio-Performance Glow Revival Serum 

This serum absorbed quickly and had a pleasant smell, the same smell as the cleanser I’m currently using actually. I didn’t see any difference in my skin from using it though.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Nature Republic Cell Boosting Watery Cream

I have way too many of these random one-time-use samples… Decided to finally use one! This cream absorbs into the skin quickly. Didn’t think anything special of it though. It didn’t irritate my skin, but it wasn’t as rich as I would like in a cream.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Chanel Chance

I like this fragrance; it smells classic and elegant. The fragrance lasts a long time too!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Prada Candy Florale 

This is a sweet and floral fragrance! I think it’s a fun scent. It doesn’t last that long though.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

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