October, eh? What a month. To quote @Horse_ebooks, “Everything happens so much.” (Remember when Twitter was fun and not… whatever is happening now? Solidarity with all those who have lost their jobs over the last few days — I am a recent inductee to the Tech Layoff Club myself. Lots to figure out! Just trying to remind myself that God gives his biggest flops to his hardest slays.)
But let’s skip to the good part — three months’ worth of empties.
Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50+
The first of a veritable bonanza of SPF empties. Can you tell I was leaving my house this summer? This is a constant favourite of mine that I’ve mentioned plenty of times here, and I’ll definitely be purchasing a refill. It’s nicely moisturising, looks great under makeup and on its own, and most importantly, protects the skin.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 50+
I started on this after the Skingredients SPF ran out, and since it’s not a moisturiser in itself, I paired it with the Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream. It’s a classic for a reason — invisible once applied, good under makeup, and not greasy or sticky (in my opinion, anyway). I prefer a more moisturising formula (anything to minimise the routine in the morning), but it’s nice to know this is always there to grab in a pinch at the pharmacy.
Vichy LiftActiv Collagen Specialist Cream SPF 25
I generally use an SPF 50, so I mostly reached for this on days when it wasn’t particularly sunny or I wasn’t going to be outside much. I actually really liked it as a moisturiser — but at €42, it’s a little on the expensive side for the size of it (50ml). The refill for the Skingredients one is a tenner more, but you get more product (73ml) and a higher SPF, so I’d rather go for that.
Ren Perfect Canvas Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser
I typically enjoy makeup removers that emulsify as this one does, turning from jelly to oil to milk to thoroughly clean the skin. I think this would be great for dry or sensitive-skinned people as it leaves your skin clean but not tight. It doesn’t get absolutely every scrap of mascara off, but that could also be my lazy scrubbing. I’ve replaced this with The Ordinary’s Squalane Cleanser — I wanted The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm but could not find it for love nor money. Yes, it is my mission to try every jelly/balm cleanser on this planet.
CeraVe pretty much has a permanent spot in my cleanser lineup these days. This one is foaming but not drying, leaves skin feeling clean but not stripped, and is just a very nice cleanser for very few beans.
Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap
I was dealing with some body acne a while back (little spotteens on my back, shoulders, and chest… stunning and gorgeous) and wanted to try a wash with actives in it. This contains glycolic acid and fruit enzymes to exfoliate and fight acne — and while my skin has cleared, I don’t know if I can credit this soap or my pill. I think it’s probably the pill, to be honest. Next time, I’ll just grab the CeraVe salicylic acid cleanser instead — I find this is more effective on acne.
Oh boy. Back when I started having my freakout about wrinkles, I researched retinol heavily and landed on this one, which was recommended by Instagram skincare queen Charlotte Palermino in an Into The Gloss article I have never managed to get out of my head. Look at her skin! Why wouldn’t I buy the product that helped to do that? I started using it with high hopes, and… yes, I love it. I genuinely think it has changed my skin for the better — of course, it has not wiped the forehead lines away, but it has softened them considerably and smoothed out my skin’s texture and tone. I generally apply a pea-sized amount a couple of times a week to my forehead (for lines/texture) and chin (for spots/pigmentation) specifically, as per Charlotte’s advice.
It’s not cheap, but it lasted me pretty much a year? I bought it in a Black Friday sale and have used it multiple times a week ever since, so we’ve had a good run. Now that I’ve built a tolerance, I would like to move up to the next strength (0.5%), but it’s sold out absolutely everywhere and no longer listed on the Skinceuticals site — which makes me wonder if it’s being discontinued. Anyone have any leads? My skin will thank you.
Pestle & Mortar Vitamin C 2-Phase Serum
This is my second one of these, and it still slaps when it comes to brightening and protecting my skin. I’ve replaced it with a cheaper one from Bliss as I am currently implementing some cost-cutting measures (aren’t we all), but I hope to return to it in the future.
I got a set of three mini Laneige sleeping masks a while ago — I dunno, I like buying myself little gift sets As A Treat. It’s a nice way to experience certain products without going the whole hog. For those unfamiliar with sleeping masks, they are basically night creams with notions — I use them a few times a week in between retinol applications to keep everything hydrated.
I had already used and loved the Water Sleeping Mask, so I was expecting great things from this one, and I may actually prefer it? It’s much thicker and feels more nourishing, and anything with cica in it is going to be nice for the auld skin barrier. I will definitely purchase the full-size version when I’m in the market for a new sleeping mask.
Dr Jart Vital Hydra Sleeping Mask
…Which could be very soon, seeing as I’m milling through them with the change in the weather. Dr Jart is another Korean skincare brand I really like (we’re going to Seoul as part of our honeymoon and I am ready to fill my suitcase with skincare), and this product is basically their version of the Laneige Water mask. I can’t identify any major difference between them! But seeing as I love the Laneige mask, I loved this one too. I wake up feeling soft and looking hydrated, which is exactly what a sleeping mask should do.
Sunday Riley Pink Drink Firming Resurfacing Essence
This replaced my beloved La Roche-Posay Toleriane spray, and I have to say, it does not have a patch on it. OK, so it calls itself an “essence,” but I honestly didn’t notice any firming or resurfacing, nor did it feel particularly hydrating. And it’s only 50ml, so it was gone in a flash. I have heard good things about Sunday Riley products, but this… I don’t even know what this is.
Every time I finish a body product, I’m just so impressed with myself. Again, this is probably a result of me actually leaving the house — freshly shaved legs need to be soothed, right? At least mine did when I was shaving them. This is a rich body butter that smells absolutely divine, and I very much enjoyed using it. However, I get little patches of psoriasis on my legs and arms, so I think I need something that caters specifically to this sort of skin concern. I’m accepting recommendations on this front if anyone has them!
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer
This one isn’t an empty, per se, but it’s an older product that has stopped looking and performing the way I expect it to, so it’s out. Ignoring “anti-aging” (what are you even on about), this concealer does exactly what it says on the tin. A tiny dot goes a very long way, and it lasts all day with minimal creasing under the eyes (though I believe it’s impossible to prevent creasing entirely unless you just… never smile or blink). It has a slightly tacky texture, similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away, but feels less thick. I see this recommended a lot by bridal makeup artists, so naturally, I got a fresh tube with that purpose in mind.
And with that… thank you for reading Vanity Project! I am going to London next week and the Lisa Eldridge pop-up is literally the only thing I have on my activity list. Is that sad? I don’t think so — not when she’s releasing a new collection quite literally the day before. Anyway, see you soon for the next one!