Pinch, punch, first of the month – no returns!
Except of course for the empties post which is back for another trawl through stuff wot I have used up.
Welcome to the third of my monthly list of used up beauty products. I’ve been keeping them in a washbag, ready to be counted and in one case, crowned Product of the Month. Last month’s bag of retired treats is here.
As before, in the empties list below, anything marked with a * is a press sample sent to me for review, and if there’s a longer review available then I’ll link to it. The rest of it was bought by me. Links to products may be affiliate, but this post is not affiliate-driven.
My empties for March 2021
This month, for the first time in aaages I actually bought some products in the shape of this great kit from SpaceNK. It’s a really well-curated, good value line up of skincare suitable for spring and summer.
But what’s in the trash? Actually not as much this month, but still plenty to sift through. I’m getting through the samples/travel sizes pretty well. And for some reason this month has been all about the exfoliation, so I am currently smooth as the baby’s proverbial.
March empties in no particular order
- Kiehl’s Creme de Corps body moisturiser – One of those products that’s a classic for a reason
- Nesti Dante Il Frutteto Soap – the last of my soap stash. When is TK Maxx open again, anybody know?
- Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel – this was the first thing I tried from the Space NK box. Made my face go alarmingly pink but very smooth & clear afterwards.
- Foreo Make My Day Hyaluronic Acid mask* – Switched up my UFO2 device for a bit of daytime use. If you have one of these devices, this is a good staple mask.
- Ciate Bamboo Bronzer – Who knew such a small sample would take the best part of a year to use up? Even using it as eyeshadow as well as bronzer didn’t make a difference; it was like the magic porridge pot of make up.
- Pick & Mix Colour Toner in Violet by Superdrug – Went for a purple rinse to disguise the state of my roots. It did the job, though alas wasn’t purple enough to get me a job in Prince’s band. Hey, if you were in Prince’s band, what would you play? I favour maracas.
- Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady parfum – Gorgeous scent. Wore it to get my Covid jab.
- Christian Dior Capture Totale Super Potent face Serum – Speaking of scent, this one was overwhelming and not particularly nice. The serum had a lovely texture but I couldn’t get on with the whiff.
- Pure Smile Hyaluronic Acid Sheet Mask – At last we get to the bottom of my sheet mask collection with this crazy cat. I call this Portrait of a Lady Waiting for Lockdown to End:
Not finished yet…
- Pat McGrath Sheer Colour Lip Balm – Loved this, would like to try more from the queen of lipsticks.
- Wishtrend I’m From Fig Scrub Mask*
- Wishtrend Quad Active Boosting Essence*
- Wishtrend Pure Vitamin C Advanced Serum* – Lovely Korean skincare, more on these here
- L’AVES Botanical Rain Mist Toner* – Great product
- Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – If you’re going to go with a scrubby exfoliator, this is a terrific, gentle one that won’t irritate most skins.
- Sukin Rosehip Enriching Night Cream – This was on the turn so I quickly used it up as body cream. Thrifty.
- Laura Mercier Multi Tasking Moisturiser – Hadn’t tried this before but I liked this sample a lot
- Hope Girl Glow Brightening CC cream – Way too pale for me, and I have the complexion of a milk bottle. Made me look like I’d been dipped in flour.
- Hourglass Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel – Enjoyed this while it lasted, which wasn’t very long. Dried out way too soon for me to consider repurchasing.
- Aurelia Miracle Cleanser – Loved the scent of this, top cleanser.
Product of the month
Has to be my longtime companion, Ciate Bamboo Bronzer. Just for sheer longevity. It took the whole of the pandemic to get to this point:
And this was a sample size! Never buy a full size of this, it will outlive you and you’ll have to put it in your will.