Empties…its something that I really struggle to do as I don’t often go through as many empties as I would like. It was one of my New Year’s Resolutions to endeavour to use up my products more and also to try and get into the wonderful habit of opening something only when something has been fully used up – like the lovely @skinminimalist has done with her #1empty1newbie crusade. Its a really great project that I know many have got on board with on Instagram and I guess it helps all of us try to keep our skincare stashes in check. Too often to many of us (myself included) not finish product or leave it to expire.
In saying this about empties, I haven’t done an Empties post in quite some time due to the wedding, moving, general life and I have accumulated enough empty product to write a decent empties post! So enough with ramble from me and bring on the EMPTIES!
***Please note anything with a * has been kindly gifted to me and has been included in this post quite simply because I have finished the product (YAY!). All opinions are my own honest opinions and no one has given me these products expecting a review or write up.
Alex Carro Skincare Multi Use Balm*
Alex Carro Skincare is a natural skincare brand that has been handcrafted in Barcelona, Spain. The range is all about keeping skincare minimal and easy to use and with 5 beautiful products in their line up, the brand has stayed true to this philosophy. Alex Carro uses botanicals and pure plant oils to create their beautiful range and ingredients are focused on not only how potent they are but also by their textures and how they absorb into the skin. What I love about this range is just how minimal yet sleek each and every product is and also the premise that each product in the capsule collection can be mixed together, adapted to specific needs or be a multi use product. The 5/5 Multiuse Balm (in which I won in a Instagram competition last year) is no exception to just how smart and portable the Alex Carro line is.
You might not have seen the 5/5 Multiuse Balm featured in many of my routines, simply because this baby lives permanently in my handbag. It has become my saviour for dry lips, irritated skin and basically my go to balm for all dry skin issues when I am travelling or am out and about. The balm comes in a little 10ml miron glass jar and its size makes it not only easy to carry around in a handbag but it is also so incredibly cute! I also found that a little bit can go a very long way with the concentated formuka. The balm uses a combination of the following ingredients for its silky smooth multi purpose balm:
Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Grapeseed Oil (Vitis Vinifera), Rosehip Oil (Rosa Canina), Calendula Flower Extract (Calendula Officialis), Roman Chamomile Oil (Anthemis Nobilis), Bitter Orange Oil (Citrus Aurantium), Lavender Oil (Lavandula Angustifolia), Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus Sinesis), Natural Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate), Beeswax (Cera Alba)
I love the fact this balm is so soothing and it really works quite well in smoothing out dry lips and helping to calm any eczema flare ups I may have on the go. The balm is packed full of hydrating and nourishing butters and oils that seem to effortlessly sink into the skin and not ‘sit’ on top. Its texture once it is warmed up and massaged into the skin is a lightweight, silky smooth oil that seems to miraculously even out any dry patches and calm and soothe any irritations I have. Whilst this balm does use essential oils such as orange, chamomile and lavender, the scent is extremely feint and not in anyway potent or overbearing. This balm has been a wonderful handbag companion for me and it has saved my skin a number of times due to its ultra nourishing and calming ingredients and I am so sad that this has been fully used up! I won’t be repurchasing this any time soon as I do have some other balms in my arsenal to use next but I can definitely see myself buying it again in the future.
This Alex Carro 5/5 Multiuse Balm retails for EURO €18.18 and is sold on the Alex Carro Website which also ships internationally.
Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser
Tata Harper makes some of the best cleansers around and the Refreshing Cleanser is another fantastic cleanser from her range. On the Tata Harper website it is described as a gentle cleansing treatment which removes surface impurities whilst minimising the appearance of pores and helping to preserve hydration. This cleanser is supposed to be 100% natural and filled with nourishing and hydrating ingredients aimed to be non irritating to the most dry and sensitive complexions. Its ingredients is as follows:
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl alcohol (wax derived from grapeseed and wheat), Citrus aurantium (Neroli) distillate, Cetearyl olivate (derived from olives), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Sorbitan olivate (wax derived from olives), Leuconostoc ferment filtrate (radish root extract), Oryza sativa (Rice) extract*, Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit), Lactobacillus/Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruit ferment extract, Salix alba (Willow) bark extract*, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder*, Kaolinite (Rose Clay), Sclerotium gum (derived from root vegetables & corn), Coco-glucoside (derived from vegetables), Cetearyl glucoside (wax derived from grapeseed and wheat), Cetyl palmitate (wax derived from olives), Sorbitan palmitate (wax derived from soy), Soy peroxidase (derived from soy), Superoxide dismutase (derived from horseradish root), Geranoil, Limonene, Linalool, Natural essential oil blend**
*Organic ingredients
**Fragrances from 100% natural clinical grade essential oils
When I use this cleanser, my skin definitely feels nourished as my skin feels quite balanced, refreshed and soft once this has been washed off. It does contain some willow bark (a natural source of salicylic acid) in the ingredients listing which also helps to give the skin a bit more of a deeper clean and also can help to decongest the skin. I find that when I do use this, my skin does feel like it has had a slightly deeper cleanse than most of my other cleansers that I own.
Whilst I do enjoy using the Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser, I don’t think I would repurchase this again due to the fact that I do enjoy using the Purifying Cleanser more. I find that this cleanser is quite hydrating and is a great option t for drier skin types, however the Purifying Cleanser has set the bar for me in the Tata Harper range. The Refreshing Cleanser, whilst is a good cleanser that does perform and leave the skin feeling clean and soft. It however does not perform as well as the Purifying Cleanser in terms of giving that slight glow that I am used to. I also don’t love the pump on this as there is some product left right at the bottom that the pump just can’t quite get into!
The Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser retails for USD$78 on the Tata Harper website and GBP£70 on Cultbeauty.
Divine Woman Hydrating Cream* and Daily Renewal Lactic Gel Cleanser*
The Divine Company is an Australian green beauty brand that has recently undergone a huge rebranding and I have to say, the new look is amazing! The brand has a real focus on being Australian Certified Organic and is one of the few Australian brands out there they do have this certification. I have always wanted to try the range but I often (like any other skincare junkie) get distracted by other brands and products out there. I was lucky enough to receive the Miniature Series from The Divine Company in the Maslow & Co Australian Edit earlier this year and in this beautifully packaged set contained these two gorgeous cleansing miniatures.
I found Divine Woman’s Hydrating Cream Cleanser quite nice to use in terms of its consistency and feel. It leaves the skin looking clean and refreshed and whilst it was nice to use, it was just simply just ‘nice’. It is nothing ground breaking or earth shattering, it simply cleanse the skin and leaves it feeling hydrated and soft. However, for those who are venturing into the world or green beauty, the cream cleanser may be a good place to start as its a really lovely and gentle formulation for most skin types.
Divine Woman’s Daily Renewal Lactic Gel Cleanser on the other hand, I really did enjoy. I don’t really like gel cleansers as gel = foam and foam = sulphates and skin feeling stripped. The Divine Company however got this gel cleanser spot on as it does create a soft foamy lather, but the lather is almost ‘creamy’ and it does not lather too much. Whilst the gel cleanser does foam, it doesn’t strip the skin or leave my skin feeling tight and dry, it instead leaves it feeling quite ‘normal’. The acids in this cleanser seem to give the skin a slightly deeper clean as my skin does look clearer and not as congested when using this and I do notice a slight tingle when leaving this on the skin for a bit longer – the acids are working! This would be a great cleanser for those with combination to oily skin as it really does help balance out the excess oil on the skin.
Overall, I liked the Divine Woman’s Hydrating Cream Cleanser but didn’t love it and I really enjoyed the feeling and the way my skin looked after using the Daily Renewal Lactic Gel Cleanser. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to purchase the Lactic Gel Cleanser for now (I have too many cleansers) but it would be a product I would most definitely look into later on down the track, perhaps when summer rolls round again!
Both cleansers can be purchased from The Divine Company website and come in a beautiful 100ml bottle that retails for AUD$54.95
Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask
I love a good Omorovicza mud mask and when I received this deluxe sized sample in a Cultbeauty goodie bag last year, I was so excited to try this. For those who don’t know, I absolutely LOVE the Deep Cleansing Mask ( I loved it so much I declared it a Holy Grail Mask here). I therefore had very high expectations for this mask as the Deep Cleansing Mask does so well to decongest and brings everything up to the surface. The main difference between the two masks is that the Ultramoor Mask promises to do ‘more’ for the skin as it not only detoxifies but also promises transform the complexion by lifting, firming and smoothing the face and its contours whereas the Deep Cleansing Mask main goal is purify the skin.
The Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask is quite effective at purifying the skin, as I did apply this on to some spots and using this mask really pulled them up to the surface. In terms of lifting and smoothing out the skin, I honestly didn’t see much of a lift as I do with some of my other masks that I own. However, I did most definitely notice an improvement in how my skin felt afterwards. It was indeed super soft and firm.
Whilst the Ultramoor Mask was a great mask overall, I do prefer the Deep Cleansing Mask more due to the fact I found it more hydrating and nourishing for my skin, the Ultramoor Mask seemed to make my skin feel a little tight afterwards. I also don’t 100% love the ingredients in the Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask, as alcohol denatured is listed as the 6th ingredient (this form of alcohol is no where to be found in the Deep Cleansing Mask). I may be a little biased being a die hard fan of the Deep Cleansing Mask, but whilst the Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask is a relatively good one, I will not be purchasing the full size. I will just stick the Deep Cleansing Mask instead as my skin gets much better results from this (and its a fraction cheaper as well!).
The Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask comes in a 50ml jar and retails for GBP £65.00 on Cultbeauty and USD$126 on Omorovicza USA.
Chantecaille Future Skin – Shea
This is perhaps one of my holy grail, go to foundations – I absolutely love the texture, feel and the way this foundation looks on the skin. This is my second jar of this foundation and I am now on to the third which is a testament to how much I enjoy using this. I am not one to enjoy using full coverage foundations or foundations that feel quite heavy on the skin and Future Skin is the exact texture I wish that all foundations would be like. It looks creamy in the pot but once applied on the skin it transforms from a creamy texture to a gel like one and it simply just glides and effortlessly melts into the complexion give your face a ‘my skin but better’ effect.
The coverage of this is buildable and I generally do reach for this when I go out and need a slight ‘fuller’ coverage. It blurs out any imperfections in the skin but due to its lightweight texture feels like you are wearing nothing on the face. I find the coverage is more of a light to medium coverage and has a natural, borderline dewy finish. In terms of application, I generally will apply this with my fingertips and when I am going somewhere slightly more fancy, I will apply this with a brush for a more flawless finish. The texture and formulation of Future Skin is so easy to work with, it is quite hard to actually apply it ‘wrong’. Once applied it gives my skin a really natural finish that look radiant and fresh and I love that this doesn’t look cakey due to its liquid gel texture. It feels like nothing is on my face and my skin can actually breathe through the foundation itself. This lightweight feeling and ease of use make Chantecaille Future Skin a definite favourite foundation of mine.
Overall I absolutely love Chantacaille Future Skin, and if I had to make just one complaint, it would just be the packaging. The jar can be so unhygienic and I much prefer a foundation with a pump of some sort. However, due to just how wonderful this is in terms of its finish and formulation, I will let the packaging slide and continue (and already have) repurchasing this.
Future Skin can be purchased at Chantecaille USA for USD$78, Space NK for GBP£63 and Mecca Cosmetica for AUD$111 for a 30g pot/jar
La Mer Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation
La Mer is one of those brands where I feel that it is generally overpriced for what it is. I know it has a mass following and there are people that are absolute La Mer purists but I personally couldn’t spend the amount of money that they charge for one of the moisturisers, whereby the ingredients listings isn’t anything ground breaking. I do believe there are alternatives. That aside, there are a few gems in the La Mer range and their Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation is one these rare diamonds in the range.
I received a sample of the La Mer Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation whilst browsing a La Mer counter at David Jones a while ago and was curious to see how this would firstly look and wear. I was quite impressed with the texture of this as it feels quite lightweight and silky on the skin. I mainly used my fingers to apply this (classic me being lazy) but this foundation also looks extra flawless when applied using a brush. The finish this gives is probably best described as a satin finish as it doesn’t look matte on the skin and it isn’t super dewy either and I would say this is a medium weight foundation that can be applied further to be a full coverage one. In terms of lasting power, this generally will last on my skin without a primer for about 8-10 hours which I found quite impressive with blotting required probably around lunch time on my combination skin. I love the way this looks on my skin as it really gives me a beautiful ‘airbrushed’ look without having my face look ‘done’ if that makes any sense (this is why I could never review makeup all the time hahaha). Whilst the coverage is a little bit heavier to what I am used to, I still feel like myself in this and I still feel that my skin looks natural and can breathe.
This is possibly one of the most expensive foundations I have tried but it is something that I will really carefully consider when repurchasing – perhaps when I am on holidays! This retails for USD$110 from La Mer USA, GBP GBP £85 from La Mer UK and AUD $200 from La Mer Australia for a 30ml bottle.
Jordan Samuel Skin Plié Treatment Cleanser
I have harped on about this amazing cleanser so many times now and I am so sad that it is empty! I won’t go on too much as to how much I love this cleanser (if you do want to know though, read here) but it is truly one of the best and more affordable cleansing balms out there. Makeup melts off with this and skin feels clean and nourished after using. This is now my replacement for Clinique’s Take the Day Off Balm for me and I am so sad it is all gone! I will be repurchasing this (more like stock up on this) very, very shortly.
This can be purchased from Jordan Samuel Skin website for USD$20 for a 94ml tube.
Lina Hanson Global Face Trio*
Lina Hanson is luxury green beauty brand that aims to simplify skincare and create products that are able to be used in a variety of different ways and is designed to be versatile. Her product offering isn’t huge but she has a product to address each and every step of a skincare routine, quite often having one product doing 2 or 3 different steps! I love following Lina Hanson on Instagram as well, as I love seeing her travels and her sharing her journeys, whether or not it be ingredient sourcing or just having a good time. She seems like such a genuinely beautiful person, both inside and out.
I had the opportunity to try Lina Hanson’s Global Face Trio in the Boxwalla ‘Let It Glow’ December Beauty Box Edit last year. Global Face Trio is a cleanser, exfoliator and mask in one. The way the product works is that the product itself comes in a dry powdered form and how you wish to use the product depends on how much liquid added to the powder. The Global Face trio aims help to purify, balance, brighten and clarify the skin whilst minimising bench space and luggage space as it is such a multifunctional product.
What I love about Lina Hanson’s Global Face Trio is that it leaves my skin so soft, smooth and brightened after using this as a cleanser (my favourite way to use this). When mixed with a liquid, it makes for such a gentle yet potent cleanser that really leaves my skin looking glowing, soft and so baby smooth. My skin is left absolutely glowing every time I use this. The ‘powder grains’ in Global Face Trio work so well to gently buff away and exfoliate the skin without leaving it stripped, dry or raw. As Lina Hanson’s Global Face Trio is multipurpose it can also be used an exfoliator as well by using less water when mixing and when used as a mask, leave it on for a little longer for the product to work it’s magic in purifying the skin. The way I have personally enjoyed using this is as an actual cleanser mixed with some white or green tea as the addition of tea calms and soothes the skin, whilst the unique blend of ingredients such as thanaka, clay, lemongrass and ginseng work to help keep the skin looking radiant, clear and silky smooth.
I would definately repurchase The Global Face Trio again as it is a cleanser that is unlike any other I own or have tried. It can be purchased from the Lina Hanson website for USD$70 for a 100ml jar.
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
I have written about these pads in these posts here and the smaller containers of this is definitely a favourite of mine due to the fact they are great for travelling and also easy to use up. As mentioned in my posts, these AHA pads are great for those with sensitive skin or those who are a beginner to chemical exfoliation as the formulation of these are incredibly gentle but also quite hydrating as well. They are great introduction to chemical exfoliants and can then be used every other day with another chemical exfoliator or to even to be used every day once you have built a tolerance to AHAs.
The ingredients for these Radiance Pads are the following:
Water/Eau, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Water, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20
I would absolutely buy these again (and I have and will continue to do so) due to their portability, convenience and the fact that they do work and work quite well for my sensitive skin. I find that out of all the chemical exfoliators I have used, these never irritate my skin and are something that I could easily use on a day to day basis.
The First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads come in two sizes – 60 pads and 28 pads. For 60 pads – it is USD$30 from First Aid Beauty or Sephora, GBP£22.00 from Selfridges and AUD$52 fromSephora Australia
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