Was it just me, or was this November the draggiest month to ever drag on? It truly felt like the longest 30 days of absolutely nothing going on. In any case, November is finally over, which means I can talk about my empties. And once again, she’s a bumper empties. With skincare, bodycare, and haircare all featuring this month. Let’s get into the trash.
ESSANO MOISTURE SHEET MASK – $8.99
I bought a stack of these from Woolies when they were on clearance. And it’s a shame I can’t buy this mask again here in town because I really enjoyed it. These are great because you can do them in a hurry (they’re only supposed to be on the face for 5 minutes). If I ever spot any on my travels, I’ll pick some more up.
HADA LABO MOISTURISING FACIAL SHEET MASK – $6.99
These, however, are quickly becoming my favourites. The price just can’t be beat. Especially for how deeply hydrating they are.
SUMMER FRIDAYS LIP BUTTER BALM in VANILLA BEIGE – $40.00 for 15g
Ok, this was meant to be in last month’s empties. I forgot to grab it out of the box *lol*. But in all seriousness, Summer Fridays makes my second favourite lip balm (Rhode just edges them out now). So nourishing on the lips. And they taste pretty great.
MAC COSMETICS HYPERREAL FRESH CANVAS CREAM TO FOAM CLEANSER – $60.00 for 125ml
Scored a couple of MAC mini’s when I was in Townsville. Of the two, this I wouldn’t pick up again. It left my skin feeling super squeaky. And I hate that sensation.
MAC COSMETICS HYPERREAL SERUMIZER – $108.00 for 30ml
This, on the other hand, I need back in my life immediately. So moisturising and it made an excellent primer for my makeup.
MAC COSMETICS PREP & PRIME FIX + – discontinued
Full disclosure, this was a limited edition scented Fix + from like 5 years ago that I’ve had sitting empty in my handbag for an amount of time that I’m not willing to admit to. Fix + is iconic, we know that already. I do wish they would bring back the scented ones. Because this one (peony) and the watermelon one both live rent free in my head.
GLOSSIER BOY BROW – $37.00
Worth every ounce of hype it ever got. I could comb this through my brows and know they would look great. If I were to get this again though, I would get a lighter shade. I originally got the shade Dark Brown. But now that my hair is more or less back to it’s original colour, I don’t need a shade that dark or cool toned anymore.
THE ORDINARY MULTI PEPTIDE EYE SERUM – $40.00*
A lowkey fave for the year. Super light, almost oily formula. But my undereyes drank it up. I would definitely get this again.
ULTRA VIOLETTE SUPREME SCREEN SKINSCREEN – $52.00 for 75ml
*TGA DECLARATION: Free gift with purchase* Not sure if I can give opinion here because this came with my birthday gift for Sephora. But if I ever repurchase, then you’ll know.
SIBLING SKINCARE FUTURE BRIGHT VITAMIN SERUM – $99.00*
An excellent, highly underrated Vitamin C serum that did wonders for my complexion and the healing of my dark spots. It also doubled as a Hyaluronic Acid. Which really helped my skin out during winter. I would get again.
FRANK BODY REWIND RETINOL SERUM – $32.00
I feel like Frank Body’s skincare range is very under the radar. But they have some winners in their line. And this retinol is one of them. I would recommend this one to beginners because it’s very gentle, but extremely effective.
BEAUTY BLENDER LIQUID CHARCOAL SPONGE CLEANSER – $26.00
This was a Sephora point purchase. And while I’m never going to recommend this over my beloved Daiso, if I were to get it as a freebie again, I wouldn’t say no.
MILK MAKEUP HYDROGRIP PRIMER – $66.00
I managed to get through quite a bit of this before the formula started to turn on me. The colour has changed and the consistency is a bit suss. Which is a shame because this was my summer go to primer. I might stick *get it* to the ELF version from now on. It’s almost the same and a third of the price.
KOTIA HYDRATING DAY FACE CREAM SPF 15 – $70.00*
Where I was a fan of the night cream, I sadly wasn’t a fan of the day cream. The consistency was a bit off on my skin when the heat started to hit. Almost like it was too heavy. I also suspect that it was breaking me out a bit. I wouldn’t get this again. But the night cream is still on my radar.
MECCA COSMETICA MECCA-MORPHOSIS PURIFYING CLEANSING BALM – $48.00
Lovely, no nonsense cleansing balm that was a little firm to start, but emulsified beautifully on the skin.
MURAD RAPID RELIEF SULFUR MASK – $69.00
Now this was a gem for when my skin was cranky! I especially loved using this as a spot treatment when the pimples were super sore. Also, I got a ton of comments when I picked this up saying how rank it smelled. Chalk it up to 30+ years of living in a town that has a sulfur plant down the road, but I didn’t think it was that bad.
BANANA BOAT ULTRA LIGHT FACE FLUID SPF 50+ – $19.95
*TGA DECLARATION: Purchased myself* This was fine. I have no real positive or negative thoughts on it. I would definitely recommend it to those with drier skin.
HAIRIFICATION PURE GROW CONDITIONER – $25.00
The shampoo was in last month’s empties. And here is the conditioner. I already have both in my shower again. And I will continue to repurchase it because it’s that good.
OLAPLEX NO. 5 BOND MAINTENANCE CONDITIONER – $54.00
Which means I won’t be picking this up again anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, Olaplex is worth the money, in my opinion. But I found something else I like for half the price.
SOL DE JANERIO BEJIA FLOR BODY WASH – $43.00
Paying that much for a body wash in this economy is kind of stomach churning. But it does smell like my favourite Sol De Janeiro spray. So, in that case, it was worth it to me. I probably wouldn’t get this again. But no one is allowed to yell at me when that Cheirosa ’59 body wash drops in December.
TBH SKINCARE ACNE HACK ANTI BACTERIAL CLEANSER – $25.00
The best acne cleanser I’ve ever tried and I will hear no different. I am so 10 toes down for TBH Skincare now and if they ever discontinue this, I will be in their walls (yes, I did buy another one already).
And that’s a wrap on the November empties! Gotta say, I’m particularly proud of this month’s empties. There were some pretty awesome discoveries that I cannot wait to get again. Let me know in the comments what you used up in November!
Cheers and love
Emily xo