2026, let’s fucking do this!
I hope that everyone had an incredible Christmas/New Years/time off. I spent mine mostly inside (the North West’s wet season came early this year), watching Heated Rivalry on repeat (yeah, I got hooked in too), and impatiently waiting for my Boxing Day parcels to arrive (see point 1).
But if you’ve been following me for a while, you will know that before I can dive on into the new year, I have to address some business from the previous year. And first on the agenda is empties. Thankfully, I can keep this one pretty short. For as long as December felt, I didn’t use up that much stuff. But there are a few products here that I’m very excited to share my thoughts on. So, for the first time in 2026, let’s chat empties.
HERO MIGHTY PATCH – $13.00
I copped a few cheeky breakouts around Christmas. So these really came in clutch. I haven’t repurchased them yet (I actually grabbed the new ones from CeraVe to try). But rest assured, I’ll always come back to Mighty Patch. They are so good.
MECCA MAX BEAUTY BULLET FLAWLESS SPHERE – $10.00
I found this in Parker’s mouth THIS MORNING! Which means it’s time to change over for a new one. I was about due to replace this one anyway because it was getting little tears that were making me uncomfortable about trying to clean it effectively.
GOOP BEAUTY GOOP GLOW MICRODERM INSTANT GLOW EXFOLIATOR – $216.00 for 50ml
Before you glare at me for having a Goop product in my stash, please let it be known that this was in my Revolve advent calendar from 2024. In any case, I held off using it for ages because I’m not usually a fan of physical exfoliants. But this was pretty great. I liked that it was super fine, but still had enough grit to be effective. And it did leave my skin super soft and glowy. I did consider buying the full size. But at that price, that’s a no from me, dawg. Related, please leave your physical exfoliant recommendations below.
LOUNGEFACE LASH MASCARA – $37.00
Pretty sure this is the third tube of Loungeface that I’ve gone through. Which means I can officially enter it into my Beauty Hall of Fame! It is my go to for between reviews. It lengthens, volumises, and defines without flaking or smudging. Lauren Curtis, you did the damn thing. And if you discontinue it like you did your brow products, well, I’ll be really cross at you.
DAISO PUFF SPONGE DETERGENT – $3.80
A staple of my collection for sure. I have a backup in use but I will need more sooner rather than later.
GEM SOLAR SCREEN HYDRATING FACE SUNSCREEN SERUM – $29.99*
*TGA Declaration – sent in PR* Can’t talk about this one. If I repurchase it, then you’ll know.
GEM VANILLA MACADAMIA SKIN LOVING DEODORANT – $10.50
My new favourite scent from Gem’s range. This smells so delicious. I smashed through it very quickly because lord knows I’m a sweaty little demon during summer.
FRANK BODY RESURFACING AHA TONER – $28.00
This was one that I enjoyed a lot a first. But by the end, I was mostly using it on my body. I really don’t reach for exfoliating toners as much as I used to. I do prefer my exfoliants in serum form. So, I probably wouldn’t repurchase.
IMAGE SKINCRE VITAL C ANTI AGING SERUM – $164.95*
Incredible morning serum. It worked wonders on my dark spots and controlling my melasma. Especially around my top lip. It’s absence is definitely being felt right now.
OLAY REGENERIST COLLAGEN PEPTIDE 24 MOISTUISER – $59.99
I can’t remember who recommended this moisturiser to me. But I was immediately enchanted by it. It soaked right into the skin without leaving a film or making my skin feel gross. I would buy again in a heartbeat. Olay are icon’s for a reason.
BEAUTY OF JOSEON GROUND RICE & HONEY GLOW MASK – $39.00
Finally, a declutter. I definitely picked this up because of the hype surrounding it. But ultimately didn’t get much from it. This mostly just ended up collecting dust in my cupboard until I noticed the product separating. Which is how it ended up here.
And that is a wrap on my empties. Gosh, it feels good writing that again. I hope that 2026 is kind to you all. And stay tuned, because January is going to be huge for Emmie’s Beauty Life! Starting on Friday with my End of Year Beauty Awards. I can’t wait to see you there.
Cheers and love
Emily xo