Empties Vol. 11: 1H 2019 done and dusted!

Hi there!  The last 3 months had gone by in a blur and I cannot believe we are more than halfway through 2019!  I am super satisfied with my progress at demolishing the mountain of products in my storeroom, saving them just in the nick of expiry (and explosion – more on that later).  If you’ve been following me on Instagram (@silverkis), you may have noticed that I permed my hair at the beginning of this year, so haircare became a big focus for me, especially treatments and styling products.  Take a look below!

Haircare:

1. L’Oreal Everpure Shampoo & Conditioner* are regarded as staples to me as they prolong the color of my hair, and are generally a pleasure to use and at a very affordable price.  Unfortunately, the conditioner exploded in storage and left a gooey mess and the cap never closed properly afterwards so it continued leaking on my bathroom shelf when I tried to use up the remaining tube.  I’m glad I managed to save whatever I could though, because I’d really hate to waste these!
2. L’Oreal Botanicals Coriander Hair Mask* is slightly more exclusive range but still very affordable.  This is formulated without sulfates, silicons parabens and colorants… and it shows.  This hair mask is thick and has a strong herbal smell, and to be very honest I struggled to finish this tub.  The coriander range is intended for fragile thinning hair, and on hindsight it does strengthen my hair, but if you don’t need it, you might find your hair feeling coarser .  There are others in the range catering for frizzy hair, dry and colored hair.
3. Briogeo is a brand new to me, and I’m so happy to have discovered it!  The products in general are really great and they are priced reasonably too!  This deluxe sample of Rosarco Milk* surprised me by detangling my hair, and protecting it from heat styling.  It also smells great!
4. Briogeo Scalp Revival* is one of the brand’s best sellers and I can see why!  I have tried other scalp scrubs before and never enjoyed them, Briogeo completely changed my mind!  It looks like mud in the tub, but actually starts to foam up gently upon contact with water.  There are tiny physical exfoliants that help to declog those hair follicles, and they don’t get tangled up in the hair!  I love the minty cool feeling it leaves after I rinse everything out.  Very easy to use, and does not strip my hair dry – highly recommended!
5. PHS Hairscience ADV Colour Care Hair Mask* is another from a Singapore-born brand that contains no parabens and other harmful additives.  It is however heavy in texture and full of silicones, which is not my cup of tea.  It does help extend the life of my colored hair, though I did not find it moisturizing as it claims.
6. Percy & Reed Wonder Overnight Recovery* smells great and has a nice light texture that is quickly absorbed.  For an overnight hair product, it is important that it does not stain the pillowcases (or worse cause a breakout) or clog the scalp, and Percy & Reed excels in this regard.  On the other hand, I never did figure out what it really did for my hair, and I actually went through a full-sized version before this deluxe travel sized… so I probably won’t invest again.
7. Percy & Reed Session Hold Hairspray* provides really firm hold on the hair, and unlike most other Percy & Reed products that I’ve tried, this one smelled really bad.

Bodycare:

8. The Body Shop British Rose Body Yogurt* smells heavenly if you’re a fan of the British Rose range like me!  The Body Yogurt has a bouncy gel texture that feels cooling upon contact with the skin, and is very moisturizing.  It does leave a slight tacky feeling so I need to wait a couple of minutes for it to dry down before getting dressed.
9. Lush American Cream Shower Gel* smells of yummy strawberries and vanilla… a decadent way to start the day!  It has a milky texture, and does not lather too much, but cleanses my skin perfectly without stripping me dry nor leaving an icky feeling after.
10. May Lindstrom The Good Stuff is a luxurious oil suited for body and hair.  Made from macademia oil, cocoa, ylang ylang, and all the good stuff imaginable.  I loved enveloping my skin with this oil, and the gentle natural scent is soothing as well – even Ezra loved it!  Great for eczema prone skin, I’d restock in a heartbeat, but it seems that May Lindstrom is not producing this anymore!

Skincare:

11. Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser* is gentle and kind to the skin, and yet cleanses thoroughly without leaving any trace behind.  I used it in the mornings to ease my skin into the day, and also as a double cleanse at night.  My only gripe is this does not smell so nice, it actually smells like the mineral mud that it is formulated with rather than roses as the name conjured.  But at this price point, I am not fussy!
12. SUQQU Eye Makeup Remover is a biphase makeup remover consisting of oil and water.  Until this, the only eye makeup remover I have ever found satisfactory is Chanel, and then SUQQU came and impressed me!  It removes all my triple/quadruple layers of waterproof mascara easily without stinging my eyes nor irritating the sensitive skin around my eyes.
13. Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser is a micellar cleanser formulated with moringa seed extract and peach.  I was actually using it to remove my eye makeup and it did an astounding job!  Again, thoroughly removing every last trace of makeup/concealer/mascara without stinging a single bit.  Most micellar cleansers sting my skin and leave my skin really dry, but this one did not.  Definitely will repurchase!
14. Origins Modern Friction Cleansing Oil* is a dual phase oil that is infused with white and purple rice to remove all traces of makeup and grime, and reveal more radiant skin.  I love the notion of a cleansing oil that is formulated without mineral oil, SLS and all sorts of nasties; and the purple/green hues are so pretty to look at!  However, I found the texture to be really thick which is difficult to use on dry skin as recommended.  Adding just a tiny bit of water transforms the oil into a milky foam that is far easier to navigate.
15. Origins Modern Friction Cleansing Stick* is part of the same line that is infused with white and purple rice.  It comes in a twist up stick packaging that is convenient for travels.  The texture is soft and crumbly, with rather chunky physical exfoliants.  Given the product itself is rather dry, I prefer using this on damp skin, but the water gets logged in over time that causes the stick to get even more crumbly.  Personally, I don’t like chunky uneven physical exfoliants because I don’t feel they are as effective as micro-grains, and may cause irritation over time.
16. Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale Lotion* was recently updated with Guerlain’s  Cell Respiration™ technology to combat oxygen deficiency leading to signs of aging.  The lotion preps the skin for future skincare step as all good lotions do, and also boosts hydration.  I am a huge fan of Guerlain’s Orchidee Imperiale collection and this lotion did not disappoint, but I am hesitant to recommend this too vehemently because at this price point it is not for everybody.
17. Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen* is an oil-free SPF40 that is fragrance-free and colourless.  It looks like petroleum jelly out of the tube, and smoothens out to a silky texture that floats above the surface of the skin and erases signs of pores.  My first reaction was that this is loaded with silicones (and it is listed the highest after all the active chemical sunscreen ingredients), and unfortunately dimethicone breaks me out.  I even switched to applying this on my neck, and that caused pimples to pop up on my neck as well!
18. Avene Fluid Fragrance-Free SPF50+ Sunscreen* is not only water-resistant, it is biodegradable as well which is great for all you nature-loving beach babes!  The pump bottle is convenient to use, and it leaves skin feeling dry and matte which is so much preferred over oily creamy ones.  I started using this first at the Maldives, and then brought it home and continued to use it on my arms on a daily basis.  Love it!

Makeup:

19. Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow is one of my favourite jumbo crayon-type eyeshadow formulas, and it shows because this is the first that I’ve ever finished (in fact it’s the first eyeshadow of any kind that I’ve binned in ages)!  Head over here for the full review.
20. Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara* gives amazing vavavoom lashes – builds up volume and lengthens.  I’m sad to see this one go, and kept it around even long after I knew it was time to move onto the next one.  Highly recommended!

Wow, even I impressed myself at the massive amount of empties from this quarter!  There were some brand discoveries that were new to me which is the most enjoyable part of being a beautyjunkie.  All the opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views, although many of the products were sponsored.  I’ve marked these with an asterisk (*) for full disclosure, and am always happy to take any questions you may have on them.

Thank you for making it through this exhaustive post with me, and I hope you have a marvellous July – 5 more months til Christmas!

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