EMPTIES: March 2017

From having a one quick glance over this month's empties I've concluded that stores here give me almost enough samples for me to live on :P

EDIT 10/4/2017 - forgot a few things so I added them on.

Sunscreen.  I think it's time I retire this sunscreen.  I used to use it thinking that the Watery Gel didn't suit my face because it dried me up pretty badly, but it turned out that that wasn't the case; my face was just trying to adjust to the retinoid I put on it. The Watery Gel works just fine now and I'm just going to stick to it and not this.  There's a lot more product for the same price in the Gel.

Facial Oil.  I used it up relatively quickly because I don't like it that much.  It just smelled a bit 'off', so I ended up putting it on my body too to use it up more quickly.

Body Scrub.  It's ok but it's a bit milder than what I'm used to in scrubs.  It's not bad but it didn't really wow me, so would probably not repurchase.

Hair Treatment.  Not much to say. I like the smell. I am not sure if I will buy the full size.

Makeup.  I enjoyed them while they lasted but probably won't buy either again.  Maybelline Fit Me concealer was considered holy grail by many, but it was just meh for me.  It's runny and doesn't provide enough coverage. I am loving their Age Rewind a lot more.

Hair Dye.  Yet another tub gone :D. I repurchased Rubine after this, because to be honest I'm struggling to see a difference. Will come back to this anyway.

Body Cream. I would not buy this, it's way too strongly perfumed and too thin to be really meaningfully moisturising.

Targeted Treatment. I have already bought a second tube because I took photos of myself on the first day of using it and on day 28 and I can tell that the loss of volume on my nasolabial fold and tear trough got shallower.

Essences.  I heard great things about the Benton essence but the samples I used are too small for me to be able to use for long enough to see any difference.  As for the Belif one, I don't know if it was just my eyes or using other products at the same time (like the Sulwhasoo sleeping mask everyday) but I felt like my skin was so glowy while using this.  However, I'm still not sure what it really is supposed to do.

Facial Cleansers.  I haven't used facial wipes in such a long time, but bought this one for travel.  I liked the other cleansers too, but won't repurchase the Innisfree ones because I discovered the importance of pH in cleansers, and through research found out that the pH of these Innisfree cleansers are too high.

Sheet Masks.  Used up fewer sheet masks this month than the previous two months, but still a bit more than I thought I would.  I guess I'd treat myself while I was in Sweden, considering how I used all the Hada Labo sheet masks I had. It does give a bit more of a luxurious feel than the cheaper masks, but I don't think it's enough that I'd pay so much extra for it.

Wash-Off Mask This was nice, and it was really good for my retinoid-dry skin at that time, but I wouldn't buy it on my own.

Face Creams.  I'm in love with the Honey Cera eye cream, and every other creams here did just fine. In fact I have the full size version of the Belif Moisturising Bomb.

Skincare For My Boyfriend, March 2017

I am visiting my boyfriend in Sweden in March, and in preparation for the visit I bought him a lot of things that can't be found in Sweden.  He's been complaining about how extremely dry and flaky his skin feels, and of course the long and harsh Swedish winters don't help any.  He also complains that all the moisturizers he has tried are either too greasy - sitting on top of the skin while skin still feels dry inside or feels sticky and 20 minutes later his skin is dry again.  So I curated a skincare routine for him based on the Asian skincare philosophy of applying multiple, light layers going from wateriest (hydrating) to oiliest (occlusive).  That way the hydrating layers can be absorbed deep into the skin while the occlusive layers prevent moisture from evaporating back out.  In fact, his problem is a part of what kicked my fascination with Asian skin care!

So here goes!

HADA LABO Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam with refill.  A pH-balanced cleansing foam so that he can take the gunk off his face without nuking his acid mantle.  VURRAH important, apparently.

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask.  For scrubbing the flakes off his face.

BELIF Manology 101 Smart Recharger x2.  His favourite! It's the first moisturiser I heard him say he's willing to use again.  I bought him this the last time I visited, not really knowing what to expect and honestly mostly because it's marketed as 'for men' and turns out he loved it so much that he would use it on his body as well as his face, so this time round I bought 2 bottles so that it'll last until the next time I come, which would be the final move! YAY!

MEDIHEAL Dress Code sheet masks.  I bought these but only one of them is meant for him. The other one is for myself. I want us to have those super cutesy couple sheet mask selfie.  He's a surprisingly good sport about it LOL.

MY BEAUTY DIARY Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Mask and Imperial Bird's Nest Mask.  I bought a pack each, and each pack has 10 masks, so I gave 5 each to Johan and 5 each to myself.

ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream.  I bought this for him because I'm using it and it works for me, but he still has the eye cream that I bought him the last time, which is Belif Peat Miracle Revital Eye Cream.

ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Half & Half Cream.  I bought this for him because it contains 2 types of cream so that he can choose the cream he wants depending on his skin condition on that day/time.

INNISFREE Green Tea Sleeping Pack.  Figured he should try a sleeping pack as well for extra hydration!

SNP 99% Snail Soothing Gel.  Bought two of these tubs because Sasa was having this on 20% off.  One for myself and one for him.  Just in case he wants some light hydrator for his body skin.

QUEEN HELENE Cocoa Butter Face + Body Crème.  A heavier duty moisturiser that is inexpensive.  I bought a smaller tub for myself and so far it works fine.  He says it smells like candy.

SCENTIO Apricot Sherbet Body Scrub.  For the flaky skin on his body.

And here's him with most of the skincare I bought him! Isn't he just the cutest? :D ^_^ Having a photo like this was his idea btw!