would you look at that, more empties
I was trying to work up a title based on Empty Chairs at Empty Tables but failed.
It’s empties time again! But first, a little update on my makeup no-buy: I have not bought! Apart from replacements for two products in this very empties post, which is allowed under my rules. I didn’t find myself tempted at all until the last week or so, when the new Urban Decay liquid eyeshadows caught my eye. But they’re not even out here yet, so I can’t have them, and I’ll probably forget about them. Strong and stable! I need to do an SPF order soon, but I will not allow myself to get sucked into my usual Stylevana trap of ordering a few little extra bits to try. Strong. And. Stable.
Anyway, here are my empties from the past few months.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream
As I’ve mentioned before, this newsletter has its upsides, which is that sometimes my loved ones read it and buy me things I like. My mum (and I guess my dad too, though I don’t know how much say he had in it) got me another jar of this for my birthday in October and it was just as nice as it was the first time – light but deeply hydrating, glow-giving, luxurious. I could in theory get a refill tub for €85, but… well, you and I both know I won’t. Sometimes a treat is meant to be just that: a treat.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Apple Lime
It takes me well over a year to use up one of these – I just checked, and the last time it appeared in an empties post was September 2023. And that’s with daily application! I have another one ready to go OF COURSE, this time in the Grapefruit scent. I really liked this sherbet-y Apple Lime one, though it seems to have been a limited edition.
Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+
I think this is my favourite of all the Asian SPFs I’ve tried (though if anyone has any recommendations for different ones, let me know – I’ve used Isntree, Beauty of Joseon, and Biore before). It just feels beautiful on my skin, imparts a little glow without grease, and of course offers a good amount of protection. I got a two-pack in my last order, and I am grateful to my past self for ensuring I’d have a backup.
CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50
I used this before my Skin1004 SPF arrived, and despite me being in thrall to K-beauty SPFs, it was a perfectly enjoyable experience. I find it to be very thick and moisturising – I can feel it on my skin for a while after application. This may not be for everyone, but it was nice over the colder months and gave me a good base for my makeup. I would happily buy this again, but right now I think I’d pick up the new Byoma SPF50, just to see what it’s like.
I decided it was safe to finally deviate from my usual La Roche-Posay eye cream after dealing with some gross eyelid eczema in 2023, and thankfully, my eyes remain happy! This is a really nice, affordable option – it feels nourishing without being thick, applies smoothly, and as a bonus, creates a good foundation for concealer. I’m already on to my second tube.
Skinoren Azelaic Acid 15% Gel
Another one, thank you. I’ve spoken before about the benefits of azelaic acid for my skin, so I won’t bore you with it again, but I will be asking my doctor for another prescription with haste.
Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum
Light the beacons! I have found a cheaper Vitamin C serum that a) works and b) does not roll off my skin as soon as I put makeup on. The consistency is nice – not as runny as the Skinceuticals serums, but not a thick paste like some other Vitamin Cs. It feels good to apply and brightens my skin without irritation. Lovely! I replaced it with The Inkey List’s 15% Vitamin C + EGF Serum, which appears very similar to me, so it’s possible that I now have two serums to choose from. Good Vitamin C serums are like buses…
Aveeno Skin Relief Body Oil Spray
Going through body products is always a win. Body oil straight after the shower has been a game-changer for me when it comes to actually moisturising my body. This was fine – I liked the oil, I liked the easy-to-use spray bottle. But alas, it smells like a Victoria’s Secret. Very sweet, very artificial, just not my favourite type of scent. Whither the body oils for a more refined sniffer? (I know where they are and I know they’re probably one million euro for 5ml). I don’t think it would turn me off buying it again, but it’d be nice to find a Boots-level oil that ticks allllll the boxes.
Pestle & Mortar Pure Hyaluronic Serum
This is a very standard hyaluronic acid serum. Not that it isn’t nice, it just doesn’t really stand out. For €45, I’d rather get a few cheaper moisturising products that do essentially the same thing. Maybe the Naturium hyaluronic acid (€22) and the new Inkey List ceramide moisturiser (€23.50), for example.
Oh this one hurts. I bought this mini on a fragrant whim in the Glossier store in New York in February, and clearly I liked it very much. I wasn’t a fan of the original You scent – admittedly, I only had a sample, but it didn’t entice me into buying a full size. You Doux, however, is delicious. Woody, spicy, with a hint of sweetness. I get compliments on it all the time, which is really all you want. I will procure a full size bottle at some stage, but for now, I’ll go back to my Jazz Club (which is also on its last legs. Perfume drought incoming).
This is the first of two products that are not completely finished but have just become unusable to me. First is the Refy Brow Sculpt, which I have used to varying degrees of success for two years now before finally giving up the ghost. The brush is large, meaning the product just gets everywhere, and the more you try to work it in, the more it goes white and crusty. It held up my very stubborn brows, so I persevered, despite looking in the mirror at the end of the day and thinking omg was I going around with crusty fucking brows all this time. As my tube aged, the crustiness increased, and I just couldn’t take it any more. I replaced it with the Maybelline Super Lock Brow Glue, which does everything I wanted the Refy to do. Honestly: Get this one. It’s got a strong hold that lasts, it doesn’t leave any crusties, and it’s cheaper.
Glossier Boy Brow in Brown
I have gone through so many tubes of this, and am yet to find a tinted brow gel that I like more. Some are just too dry and flaky, others too wet, so that more product gets on your skin than on your brows. My one gripe is that the hold isn’t what I’d like it to be, but you can’t have it all. I will probably purchase this again at some point – for now, I’ve replaced it with the Maybelline Superfluff Brow Mousse, which unfortunately falls into the first category of tinted brow gel: dry and flaky. But I’ve made my bed, so I’ll lie in it.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand in Fair-Medium
The second product that has just become unusable to me! And who is surprised, given its infamous packaging. There is probably plenty left, but every time I take the cap off, I’m confronted with a leaky mess (even with the applicator switched to the off setting!!!). It’s a shame because the stuff inside is so nice, but now that I have the equally lovely Rare Beauty liquid contour, it’s just not worth fighting with it any more. I don’t know why Ms Tilbury is so attached to those awful sponges.
Evo Shebang-a-bang Dry Spray Wax
I bought this from my hairdresser when I first cut my hair into a bob in the summer of 2023, thinking that this would be all it took to get the effortless, tousled look I left her salon with. Not so! I don’t know if it’s my hair texture changing or what, but this time around, I found styling short hair to be so much work. Yes, yes, I wrote a big piece when I cut it off about how I felt “like myself again” but to be honest I now feel like the me that had short hair for about 15 years is actually no longer me. My hair is well past my collarbones again now and guess what? I’m delighted. It actually curls. It makes shapes I recognise. I can put it up in a claw clip when it starts pissing me off. And I plan to keep growing it! Down to my knees even!
All this is not a dig at the texture spray, which was nice, but I associate it with a Difficult Hair Period and as such I will not be repurchasing. Still, I thank it for its service.
Thank you for reading Vanity Project! I’m actually cooking up a sequel to this post right now, since I’ve never stopped being a judgy wee strap. Coming soon!