As always, it's time to round up my empty products from April and share some mini review of them with you all. This month my bag of empties was overflowing... I don't know how it happens but it's like everything I use finished all at once! I have a quite a bit of makeup and skincare so this might be a long one...
MAKEUP
Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous Fresh Complexion Oil-Free Foundation in 105
This has been one of my go-to foundations for a while. It has amazing coverage (medium to full) and it lasts all day on me without the oiliness getting through. My only issue is that this shade runs quite pink, and the others above it are a bit too dark but I can make it work. If you have oily skin, it's such a good one to try out, plus it's affordable at around NZD $20 (or often discounted at The Warehouse).
e.l.f. Studio Undereye Setting Powder
I have been through plenty of pottles of this - it is my absolute favourite for setting my undereye concealer as it doesn't cake up, instead it feels light and it helps to stop the concealer settling into any fine lines. It's also super cheap, but I wish they did them in bigger pots!
Makeup Forever Ultra HD Loose Finishing Powder
This has been near empty for a while so I finally used the last bit of it up. This was just a mini sample size but it lasted for ages. There is a lot of hype about this and I can see why so many like it. The powder is so finely milled and it feels very silky and smooth on the skin, with a translucent finish. It sets everything down well, but the only issue is if you use too much you can look a bit white in flash photography!
Essence The False Lashes Mascara*
I recently received this mascara (see this and other new Essene products here), and it shot to the top of my favourite mascara list. For a mascara that is only NZD $6.30, I think it is SO much better than many others that are about triple the price. It gives amazing volume, length and thickness to the lashes in only a couple of coats. I am totally going to be buying one of these as it's been hard to live without it!
Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner*
I have had this for a while now and tried using it again and it irritated my eyes which obviously indicated that it needed to be thrown away (whoops). But that aside when I was using it religiously when I first got it, it made such a remarkable difference to my lashes. It is the OG of the eyelashes growth serums and I think it's one of the best. I would use this every evening and apply a thin amount on the tiny brush across the lashes. I didn't have any issues with side effects and would definitely start using it again if I buy a fresh tube.
Colourpop Brow Pencil in Bangin' Brunette
This seems to be a common occurrence in my Empties of late - it's been my go-to, trusty brow pencil for months now and I love that it's so cheap (USD $5). It did take a bit to get used to using as the formula is quite soft but I find I can get a really defined brow using it. I am already into my new one now!
Linden Leaves Lip Balm*
This has been in my bedside table drawer for a while now and a good one to use before bed as I find it is really nourishing. Linden Leaves is a natural company made in NZ, and they produce really lovely skincare and body care products. This lip balm has organic white tea and manuka honey in it so it's great for the lips.
Maybelline Baby Lips in Mango
I went through a stage of being so obsessed with the Baby Lips (and I still do really like them). I have this one in my handbag and use it on the go when I have dry lips. They are nice to use but not the most nourishing if you have particularly dry lips.
SKINCARE
Neutrogena Deep Clean Micellar Gel To Foam 2-in-1 Makeup Remover*
This is a new product from the Neutrogena cleansing range and I have been absolutely loving it and I am sad that I have finished it now! You apply it to dry skin (with makeup on if you have it on) and massage it around then add a small amount of water to emulsify it and it starts to lightly foam up. It does such a good job of removing makeup and it also cleanses at the same time. I will be adding this one to my shopping basket next, and if you have oily/combination skin it would work well for you. They also have one on offer for drier skins too.
Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Coconut Oil Cleansing Balm*
You might ask why I have two makeup removing type cleansing products in one month of Empties, but as a blogger, I like to try a few different things and often with some skincare product I use one for a while and swap between them every week or so. This also didn't last that long and I wish it came in a bigger tub. Coconut oil has been proven to be amazing for the skin and a great one for removing makeup, which this one definitely did. It leaves behind a little bit of an oily residue but I liked that as it gave a bit of extra moisturiser to the skin. I would definitely use it again.
Garnier Ultra Lift Complete Beauty SPF 15 Day Cream*
Although high-end skincare is often beautiful to use and claim to have super duper properties, I am still a lover of more affordable skincare, especially when it works well. Garnier skincare has always been a winner for me and this Ultra-Lift Day Cream didn't disappoint. It's designed for more mature skin, but I found it worked well for me, gave a good amount of hydration and worked well as a base under makeup.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser*
I have reviewed this before on the blog (see it here), and I have finally come to the end of this big tube that seemed to be bottomless. It's a mild cleanser which would suit all skin types as a great basic cream cleanser. It takes a bit of water to loosen the gel-like formula but it works well to cleanse the skin and remove any traces of leftover makeup. At NZD $38, it's a little more higher end, but still one of the cheapest from the Kiehl's range.
Kora Organics Foaming Cleanser*
Much like the cleansing oils above, I also finished another cleanser this past month. This Kora Organics Foaming Cleanser developed by supermodel Miranda Kerr was really lovely to use. Miranda created the range in Australia and it is manufactured there also with natural and organic ingredients. It doesn't foam up tonnes and would work well for most skin types.
SKINCARE [cont.] | HAIR | MISC.
Clinique Take The Day Off Micellar Cleansing Towelettes for Face + Eyes*
Clinique is one of the only brands that do these huge packs of cleansing wipes which I find are so handy to have in the cupboard for a lazy night or to remove swatches when I am taking blog posts (#bloggerlife). These wipes were really good to use, I love anything with micellar water in it and these got rid of makeup easily without drying out the skin or leaving behind any residue. I didn't find they worked amazingly well to get rid of mascara, but for the face, they worked well.
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner*
If you are after some really great, affordable natural skincare products, Trilogy is a brand to check out. Although I generally go for toners that aren't in spray form, instead of spritzing on the face I would just spray some on a cotton pad and use it like that. This one worked well to get rid of any makeup or residue left for cleansing and helped to add a little bit of hydration to the skin too, unlike other toners which can be quite stripping and drying.
Clinique Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent*
I received this deluxe sample size in one of their gift with purchase bags, and after finished a bottle of my favourite Maybelline Eye + Lip Makeup Remover, I decided to try this one out. Sadly it did not go down well with me. My eyes were left stinging and irritated, and I found it didn't even remove my mascara/eye makeup that well. The Maybelline one is much gentler but way more effective remover so I will stick to that one!
Daiso Detergent for Puff + Sponge
If you are yet to try this, it is a game changer for cleaning your makeup sponges and makeup brushes. It literally makes the foundation in your sponge to just leak out once you rub this in, - it's like magic. I always have a bottle of this in my cupboard and at only NZD $3.50 (or $3 if you buy 3), it's a makeup must have.
A'kin Dry Shampoo*
I love a good dry shampoo and like ones that don't leave a white cast on the hair as I am a brunette, and like one that works well to successfully absorb oil. A'kin is a brand I had never heard of before but this Dry Shampoo has got me so intrigued because it worked so well. Perhaps even better than Batiste (dare I say it!) I will definitely be purchasing another can of this, which can be found at pharmacies in NZ.
What products did you finish up during April?
*PR Samples.
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