Biggest Empties Ever: Makeup and Nails

If you missed yesterday’s post you wouldn’t have seen that over the past 7 and a bit months I’d gone slightly insane and saved up all my empties due to laziness, then as a the pile got bigger it became a problem of lack of time instead. Keeping the intro short as even this pile is big and there’s a lot to go through – you can see the introduction, with pie charts if you desire here!

Makeup

Likes

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Kat Von D Lock It Foundation (review link)

I really, really loved this foundation – high coverage, great finish and lasted all day on my oily skin. I have a few other foundation that I’m trying to finish off, but I can see myself coming back to this very soon. I did have a little bit of a rocky patch with it when the weather was extremely hot in the UK and my whole face felt like it was melting but in general this was a total winner.

Repurchase: Yes

EX1 Foundation (review link)

I reviewed this only last week and it’s been my go-to to try and get used up for the past few months. I really, really love the finish of this foundation when it’s first applied, it’s got a natural finish with decent coverage – for me on my skin though anything past the 3 hour mark and it starts deteriorating quickly. It’s not the best for oily skin,  but if you have dry or normal skin I’d recommend giving it a try, it looks beautiful on!

Repurchase: I wish it lasted a few hours longer

Essence All About Matt Concealer (review link)

I really like this concealer, it’s high coverage and a perfect shade for me – it only comes in two different shades and the beige shade works really well for me. It doesn’t feel heavy and a little goes a long way. I finished this up months ago now and already had a backup ready and waiting.

Repurchase: Already have

NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain

I love this as an undereye concealer when I’m doing a more contouring look, the formulation is light and the shade is probably one of the lightest I’ve found on the highstreet and affrordable end of the spectrum. Because I have the lightest shade I haven’t tried it for concealing spots etc as it would draw more attention rather than hiding them away, but I imagine the formula should work well. I may pick up another darker one to try it out as I haven’t gotten around to reviewing it yet!

Repurchase: Already have

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Kiko Shadow Sticks in 05 and 07

I managed to use up 2 shadow sticks from Kiko – I used to use these way more regularly if I was running late in the morning I would generally opt for one of these. 05 was a cool toned shimmery brown and 07 was a light shimmery gold. There’s a little bit left in each but they’re quite old now and I’ve found that 05 doesn’t quite set as it’s gotten older, and 07 feels dry and doesn’t blend as well – interesting that they’ve taken opposite routes. I’d recommend the kiko sticks though, very affordable and easy to work with, I still have 2 others.

Repurchase: Maybe

The Balm Schwing (review link)

I bought this at about this time last year and boy did I get my money’s worth out of it. My go to liner for months and months. I’ll be repurchasing this in future the nib is perfect and the black is super pigmented and dries quickly. This isn’t empty but after 8 months of use the formula shifted a little and it wasn’t as long wearing as before.

Repurchase: Yes, in future but have another from Illamasqua currently on the go

Sleek Blush by Three in Lace

It’s only one shade in here that’s been used up and has featured on my products I’m trying to use up posts, not once but twice. A similar kind of shade to the famed NARS orgasm. I don’t like the other two shades on me they’re too pigmented and difficult to work with, there is still a bit around the edge of the pan which is proving too difficult to get on the brush now and I tend to get more of the other colours on instead of the middle one. The middle shade ‘Guipere’ is available by itself, but I have a similar shade from H&M that’s replaced it where the gold is finer and more sheeny – this one almost verges towards glittery.

Repurchase: No

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Ready to Wear Hydraskin Powder

I bought this in a staff sale when I used to work at the TV shopping channel – I really liked this powder and I always stocked up on it when it was in staff sales as it was usually only £2, but I wouldn’t buy if for it’s retail price at over £10.

Repurchase: If I still worked at the TV channel yes!

New Look Pure Colour Pressed Powder

Bought this on a whim and it was a decent powder, not as good as the revolution powder for an inexpensive option. but the packaging is great on these, a strudy acrylic package.

Repurchase: Maybe

Revolution Pressed Powder

This has been in my empties, many, many times before. I love this powder it’s one of my favourites for about a year now, and it’s only £2.

Repurchase: Yes, but not yet, I have several I’m trying to finish up!

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Covergirl Clumpcrusher Mascara (review link)

Really like this mascara, lengthens and volumises, and lasts really well through the day. One of the best budget mascaras I’ve tried.

Repurchase: Maybe

Modelco More Brows (review link)

This was the product that made me start doing my brows, before this, I didn’t touch them. My brows are naturally wonky and if I pencil them in they make it more obvious that they’re not the same level. Products like this define and fill them out without making them look too drawn on. I’m currently using Benefit’s Gimme Brow as it’s easier to get hold of compared to this – but this is a really good product, and totally comparable to Gimme Brow.

Repurchase: Maybe

Givenchy Couture Noir Mascara (review link)

I liked this mascara, it added a lot of volume, in my review I had some lingering lash extensions on so it looks a little clumpy as some were coming loose. But afterwards this had a very similar effect to Covergirl’s clump crusher, but I feel this formula was blacker. For the price though I have other mascara’s I prefer.

Repurchase: No

Eyelure Fleur Loves Lashes

I don’t often wear false lashes but I do have quite a stash of them, my favourites have been Fleur’s collection with eyelure as they’re much more natural looking. These are easier to apply as they’re 3/4 length and add length without being too fake looking.

Repurchase: Yes

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Freedom Brush Shower (review link)

I had to remind myself whether I liked this or not, I did like this but not as much as other spot brush cleaners that I’ve tried. The Revolution is better, and bigger sized bottle for the same price. It wasn’t bad though – would reuse it again if I had it

Repurchase: Maybe

MUFE Smoothing Primer (review link)

Loved this primer and really sad that it’s empty. Does a really great job of smoothing out the skin and creating a better surface for applying makeup. I’m missing having this and I’ll be repurchasing as soon as I’ve finished up atleast one other primer from my collection

Repurchase: Maybe, I’m eyeing their oil control version next though

EOS Lip Balm Pomegranate

Good lipbalm but not my favourite. One of the things I didn’t love is that as this get’s low it’s easy to catch the edge of your lips on the sharp plastic rim of the packaging.

Repurchase: Already have a honeysuckle one on the go

Sephora Super Nourishing Lip Balm

Bought this in Milan after having really sore lips whilst there and I didn’t have one with me. I happened to already have one of these lip balms that I bought back when I did my online Sephora Haul, so already have a replacement!

Repurchase: Already have it!


Dislikes

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Real Techniques Cleansing Gel (review link)

I don’t hate this cleansing gel, it makes the job of cleaning brushes really quick and easy, what I don’t like about it is the bottle. Because the product inside is a gel and is quite thick, the bottle which is quite a strong plastic will often mean that when you squeeze product out, you easily get too much.

Ecotools Brush Cleansing Cloths (review link)

These were totally disappointing, they didn’t clean my brushes at all – and I also think they were really, really expensive for what they were – these were almost £7.

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Covergirl Supersizer Mascara (review link)

Euch where do I start with this. I feel like I’m the only person who hates this mascara, from the first use I haven’t liked it. It becomes super clumpy and makes my lashes really, really heavy and my lashes become really straight and flat.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara x 2 (review link)

These mascaras were really disappointing, I’d seen them raved about online so I was really, really excited about having a few samples to try out. It was just a meh mascara, definitely tried better ones that are way, way cheaper.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (review link)

It’s that cult favourite again that I’ve spoken about multiple times, people love it – I don’t want to ever try it again. Crap pigmentation and not easy to use, unsure of whether I ended up with one from a dodgy batch but I don’t want to ever have another to find out again.

BareMinerals Bare Skin Foundation

Just had a few shade samples of this, all of which were a great colour match – for my skin, I could have gotten away with any of them. Each time though they felt like they applied patchily.

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Elf Tone Adjusting Face Primer (review link)

Another product I’ve moaned about several times, it feels greasy on the skin, the purple toned primer doesn’t balance out colour in the skin, and it doesn’t help makeup last longer. Basically pointless product. Not quite empty but I’ve used a good ¾ of this as I hate wasting products, but I’ve had enough and it has to go!

My Little Beauty Embelliseur

I used this peach toned cream every day before doing my makeup and applying primer for about 18 months, and I was never quite sure what it was meant to do/what it was actually doing.

Etre Belle Lip Lift Peel

I got this in a glossybox, it’s a lip scrub – probably should have gone in skincare, but never mind – but it tastes horrid and the scrub in it is so fine and it sits within a thin body lotion type base it takes a lot of scrubbing action to get it to feel like it’s done anything.

New Look Pure Colour Concealer

A fine concealer, but doesn’t do enough for me – not enough coverage! Took me ages to get through it seemed to be quite areated at the start but it seemed to compress as I kept twisting and it took longer and longer to use.

Fusion Beauty Concealer

I got this highlighting concealer in one of my first beauty boxes and it arrived faulty, as the twist up just didn’t product product. I managed to find a way into the product by forceably removing the brush top and managed to get in, the product was just okay and after a while my method of getting in and out became very messy.

Lise Waiter Base Miracle Primer

A sample I got from Canadian Makeup Swap with Five Zero my swap with FiveZero, i can’t remember exactly what about this I didn’t like as I used it so long ago!


Nails

Likes

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Sally Hansen Regular Polish Remover

A decent, cheap nail polish remover. Not much else to say other than that.

Repurchase: Probably at some point

OPI Serving Up Sparkle

I pulled this out recently, it’s a topper polish of mixed size silver holographic glitter. I really, really liked this and it was limited edtion from a Serena Williams Duo collaboration (the beautiful purple that came with this was fine!) but when I went to use this last week it’s all dried up. So sad.

Repurchase: Wish I could

OPI Glitzerland (review link)

Reviewed this recently so I won’t talk too much about it. OPI’s best selling shade of all time (supposedly!). A pretty gold shade that isn’t very yellowy – perfect for December, damn I’ve used it up early!

Repurchase: In future probably


Dislikes

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Sensationail Lamp, Primer & Gel Cleanser

I bought my first gel set about 2 years ago now and it’s only really been since Janaury this eyar that I stared using the sensationail kit. I’m getting rid of the lamp it’s absolutely rubbish, I now have 2 other lamps one of which I bought one of which I was sent both around the £20 mark and they are far superior to this piece of crap. Everything about the sensationail range is expensive and the coloured polishes, which is now all I have left are watery and apply horribly. If you want a gel kit you can build your own for way less than what this costs and it’s better quality too.

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Lottie So Gel Topcoat (review link)

I really love the Lottie colours, and was really excited when late last year they released an addition to their range in the form of a super shiny gel like finish topcoat it looks amazing but the texture was kind of stringy and took ages to dry.

Essie Grow Stronger Treatment (review link)

I liked this a lot when I was first using it, but it turned goopy all of a sudden quite quickly. It’s unusable and it’s probably still got a third left.

Beauty Outlet Nail Polish Remover

From my local W7 outlet, this was rubbish I had to scrub and rub my nails several times.


Phew, part 1 of this massive empties undertaking is done. Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow, this time it’s haircare!

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Helpless Whilst Drying

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25 Comments

  1. November 22, 2016 / 8:46 am

    The two OPI polishes you used up are really pretty☺ I need to try Fleurs lashes. I hardly wear false ones but her Eylure ones do look natural x

    • November 22, 2016 / 9:38 am

      I rarely wear falsies I don’t like that thick un natural lash look but these are so floaty and because they kind of criss cross at the base they look less obvious than a long band of lashes!
      I’m missing the opi from my collection already o don’t like saying bye to polishes ha!

  2. November 22, 2016 / 9:30 am

    I’m desperate to try those fleur lashes as I find long ones too fiddly and a real pain in the arse! I love the urban decay perversion mascara! The brush just seems to work wonders for me! The real techniques gel has just never appealed! I think the packaging looks cheap and horrible and it seemed really expensive? Love this post! I’ve combined two months of empties for last month and this month and that’s gonna be a faff so I can’t imagine over 7!! Xx

    • November 22, 2016 / 9:37 am

      Did you have a sample or a full size perversion? I found it just didn’t get enough product on and wondering whether it’s down to the sample?! I really like fleurs jndividual lashes as well, I find them even easier than 3/4 lengths! The packaging is a bit cheap it doesn’t match up with the rest of the line, we don’t have many high street options here though so I tried it out against my favourite, product is fine but the packaging is too solid!
      Never combine empties, new life motto xxx

      • November 22, 2016 / 11:08 am

        I bought a few of the half sizes and I’ve got a few of the same size samples you have but I haven’t used them yet so I’ll let you know! Never bought the full size tho! Are individuals not a real pain to apply?? Xxx

        • November 22, 2016 / 11:31 am

          I find them easier! It’s much easier to keep placing individual ones on than trying to bend a band, the fleur ones also come with a ‘weekend glue’ on the individual ones and last for 2-3 days if you leave them on, effort extended!

  3. November 22, 2016 / 12:55 pm

    Really really like this post! I found it so helpful! I love the added “repurchase” part you have, I’ve never seen that on any other blog post before. Great job!

  4. Sam
    November 22, 2016 / 4:37 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try the Kat Von D foundation! I currently just picked up the Too Faced Born This Way one and am seeing if I like it.

  5. November 22, 2016 / 3:52 pm

    Maybe I’d have more empties if I bothered to put makeup on most days and get out of my pajamas? Hmmmm, a thought. Oh, the thought has passed. Still in jammies!

  6. November 22, 2016 / 4:16 pm

    When you say the NYX HD concealer is light… do you mean it has low coverage? I’ve been curious about that concealer, just wondering if it’s enough coverage.
    Congrats on finishing that Sleek blush! And this is why I can’t deal with non-customized palettes – what a waste of the other 2 shades that you don’t care for. I know Sleek is inexpensive but still.
    Yay CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara! But boo, sad the Supersizer doesn’t work for you! I do personally prefer the Clump Crusher over the Supersizer.
    Hmm I call BS on OPI claiming Glitzerland is their best selling shade of all time. Really? Cuz I never even heard of it. πŸ˜†

    • November 22, 2016 / 4:45 pm

      Light in texture, I wouldn’t say it’s really high coverage, I think medium would be an accurate statement!
      Yeah I know, I wasn’t sure at the time whether to buy the single or the palette
      I think it was only Β£3 more to get the palette which is why I went for it, the other shades are nice but i don’t actually like them on my skin tone. Gimme EstΓ©e Lauder peach nuance!
      I know when I read that it was their best selling shade I was a bit like wtf, considering it’s not that old of a polish I remember when I read that it had only been out for like a year as well, still a ‘fact’ that is searchable to this day though ha
      Supersizer gives me shudders just thinking about it!

  7. BeautyNarrative
    November 22, 2016 / 11:26 pm

    Love this! Shame you didn’t like the EX1 foundation – it’s one of my favourites!

  8. November 23, 2016 / 6:55 am

    So many things to say so I will condense this; lol
    Would love to try;
    KVD Lock it Foundation. I actually got a sample. Might wear it this week! πŸ˜‰
    TheBalm Shwing. I’m still looking for the perfect eyeliner.
    Love;
    NYX HD concealer. It’s actually my favorite. I’m close to running out on mine and might need to get a darker shade.
    Sort of agree on;
    EOS lip balm. Not my favorite. Hated it BECAUSE of te packaging.
    It’s too bad you didn’t like;
    KVD Trooper eyeliner, I’ve heard great things about it. Maybe bad batch? I’ll have to give it a shot though. It looks really nice.
    BareSkin foundation–I actually really love this foundation! It works well with my skin tone and it looks so natural on my skin.

    • November 23, 2016 / 7:41 am

      Haha so many things to comment on! I’m missing kvd lock it now I’m out of it! Do give it a go!
      Schwing is so black and easy to use worth a try!
      Do you use NYx hd for concealing marks/spots, I’ve only ever used it for highlighting and have been thinking of getting a darker shade for spots!
      I bought 2 kvd liners one for my friend and one for me, she adored hers but mine was so patchy and lost pigmentation so quickly!
      Damn I on the bare minerals, I wanted to like that but didn’t!

      • November 23, 2016 / 5:43 pm

        Awesome I’ll look into schwing then πŸ˜‰
        And tried to use the NYX concealer for spots but I got a shade that was too bright so I ended up using it for highlighting only. BUT the coverage is amazing!!! It covers my blemishes so well. Too bad I don’t have a darker shade lol.

  9. December 5, 2016 / 12:02 pm

    I’m going to give that NYX Concealer a try. Hopefully they have a dark enough shade…

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