I haven't done an Empties post for a little while, so here we go again... !

I found that I have finished quite a few products these past few weeks and here are some of the products that I finally able to finished up during July to mid August:

I decided to continue this Empties series because I actually find it useful. I can look back to my old Empties posts to see which products that I love and which ones I loathed. So this is basically some kind of a personal note for myself, but I also hope that this series can also somehow help you based on the mini reviews that I put on each of the empty products listed.

Okay, so this time I've finished some full size products as well as samples and a couple of travel size items. I'm gonna separate them into categories such as Face products, Hair products, and so on..

First up is some Face Products. I finished three full size products and a couple of sample sachets:

Jean Pierre Cosmetics Exfoliating Facial Cleansing Pads with Microbeads

I just reviewed this earlier and I loved it. It's like a face towellettes to clean your face but in the form of little round pads. On one side it has regular soft cotton surface, but on the other side it has textured surface that acts as exfoliating pads. You can read my full review HERE to see the details.

Recommended? Yes

Repurchased? I would love to repurchase it but it's not available locally. Right now I'm back to using my trusted Shikada Facial Cleansing Wipes.

Lady Soma Renewal Serum 

I finally able to finished this up because I had this bottle for a long time. I actually like this serum because I think it really shows some good result on my skin. This serum contains advanced cellular renewal and collagen enhancement which I think have successfully made my skin feels and looks healthier. (reviewed HERE)

Recommended? Yes

Repurchased? Again, this is not available locally. Right now I'm on my last leg of my V10 Plus Collagen Serum.

Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-On

OMG I had this thing for so long in my drawer and I think it didn't serve it's purpose anymore. I just used this for the cooling effect on my skin because it has a steel roll-on tip. Other than the cooling sensation I think this product is pretty useless ;p

Repurchased? Nope, and right now I haven't bought anything new to replace this with. Any suggestion for similar product?

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate (3 sachets)

I got these samples from the Lancome counter in PIM 2 and I think it needs more than just 3 sample sachets to actually see the difference in my skin because I couldn't see any noticeable difference when I used these up. I do feel that this serum is comforting for the skin and it absorbs quite fast too so it didn't leave any sticky residue.

Repurchased? Maybe in the future, who knows? I think Lancome skincare products are quite good.

TonyMoly Floria Whitening Capsule Essence (sachet)

Another sachet sample that I tried was this serum from a Korean brand called Tony Moly. I think this really gave me a brighter looking skin if I use this before makeup, but I'm not really sure whether to repurchase this because I only got one use out of this tiny sachet.

Repurchased? Not sure.

 

Now let's move on to Hair Products. I finished only two hair products this time and yes, it's another shampoo bottle ;p

Schwarzkopf Extra Care Hydro Collagen Shampoo 

This shampoo has liquid keratin as well as collagen and hyaluronan in it. The bottle said that it can help repairs hair damage and refills gaps in the hair cuticle. It also claim to give intensive moisture and restore balance for softer, shinier hair. Well, it didn't do anything miraculous to my hair. It weigh my hair down and making it flat, and it gets greasy easily too. Def not for me.

Recommended? No

Repurchased? No. To replace this I'm currently using Tresemme Scalp Care Shampoo.

Makarizo Advisor Hair Repair

You might have seen it quite often in my Empties post because this is one of my go-to hair conditioner in the shower. This contains phytantriol and pro vitamin B5 which I find very good for my hair. It makes my hair light and bouncy, easy to style, and it smells good too. I love it. 

Recommended? Yes

Repurchased? Yes, but right now I'm trying on a new hair conditioner which is Herbal Essences Touchable Moisture Rinse-Off Treatment. 

 

 

Next up is Make Up & Body Care empties. Because I only finished one makeup item so I compiled it together with body care items instead:

Rosary Polish Remover

This is actually very blah. It dries up to thin air even when I already put the lid on very tightly, and it doesn't remove nail polish effectively. There's nothing really special about this polish remover. 

Recommended? No

Repurchased? No. To replace this I bought a new Revlon Extra Moisturizing Nail Enamel Remover.

Bath & Body Works Anti Bac Hand Gel in Candy Cane Bliss

I love BBW Pocket Bac Hand Gel because I'm a germ-phobe so I bring them and use them everywhere. Candy Cane Bliss is one of my favorite BBW scent because it's fresh and minty. I always love BBW christmas collection ;)

Recommended? Yes

Repurchased? Definitely. Right now I'm replacing this with my BBW Paris Amour Pocket Bac Hand Gel which is also one of my favorite :)

NYX The Curve Eyeliner

The only makeup product I finished currently is this NYX eyeliner called The Curve. I like this eyeliner because I think it's easier to use, especially in creating winged eyeliner. I also love the texture and consistency of the liner which is pretty much stayed put for hours. Plus it's not that hard to clean at the end of the day. Read the full review HERE.

Recommended? Yes

Repurchased? Probably yes, but I still have lots of eyeliners in my drawer. I haven't replaced this with anything because I'm still trying to use up my Dollywink Liquid Eyeliner.

The Body Shop Neroli Jasmin Eau de Toilette

I can't remember the last time I finished a perfume because I have several perfumes which I use alternately every day so it seems that they won't be finished any time soon. This is is one of my oldest one, I had it since several years ago and it was part of a gift set that my husband bought for me. The scent is pretty nice and fresh, very fruity floral. It's just not really my type of scent although I can see that lots of women would love it.

Recommended? Yes, if you like this type of scent.

Repurchased? Not for me. I didn't bought anything to replace this because I still have many perfumes. Right now my favorite is Jimmy Choo Flash Eau de Parfum.

Kenzo Flower In The Air (sample)

I think this is much better than the original Kenzo Flower perfume. I fell in love with this perfume because it smells sweet and feminine yet it's not overly floral. I'm not really a fan of strong floral fragrance and this one is like a more subdued scent of florals. It has musk as the base which is probably the reason why I love it.

Repurchased? Yes. Maybe in the future I'd buy this. But for now I still have many perfumes to finished first.

That's it for my current Empties post. I actually finished up a total of 9 full size products, 1 sample vial, and a few sample sachets this time. 

If you want to also check out my previous Empties post, click HERE.

I don't know why but I have a lot of facial toners in my vanity. It seems that I have accumulated them lately and I thought I'd share with you the current toners in my stash. Please note that I used them all regularly because each of them have different formulas which cater to my combination skin.

Having combination skin means my skin have dual personalities, LOL. So I have toners for dry skin that I used when my skin is more towards dry than oily, and I also have toners that are meant for oily skin which I used when my skin feels oily. I also have toners that has acne treatments for those days when I have little break-outs, etc.

ROC Demaquillage Actif Face Toner

This is one of my go-to toner nowadays. I used this every morning after I cleanse my face and also when my skin feels dry rather than oily because it is meant for dry skin. I love this toner because it seems to comfort the dryness and balance out my combination skin.

Skinlife Medicated Acne Care (reviewed here)

This is more for oily skin because this helps in acne problem as well as keeping the oil at bay. It's my night toner because I mostly used this at night before I go to bed. It contains Hyaluronic Acid, fruit acid, and lemon extract. It's not my most favorite because I prefer toners that gives "refreshing" feel and this one feels just like plain liquid because there's no tingly sensation or whatsoever when I use it.

L'Occitane Purifying Rice Toner (mentioned here)

This is my toner that I bring in my travel bag. Sadly this is discontinued but I have loved it since the first time I tried it on. This one is rather unique because it's a bi-phase toner and it has like a tiny ball inside the bottle that we're supposed to shake well before applying it. I love that this toner has the ability to lift off makeup on it's own, so sometimes if I'm too lazy to properly clean my face I use this toner instead ;p

Kiehls Cucumber Herbal Alcohol-Free Toner

According to the bottle, this is for all skin types but particularly for dry or sensitive skin. I find this is mediocre compared to other toners I have in my stash. I don't really use this too often because I'm not really fond of it. When I pour it into a cotton pad it seems that it is mostly absorbed by the cotton pad instead of my skin, so it's kinda annoying for me to use. But if my skin is severely dry I usually turn to this toner.

Garnier Pure Active Multi-Action Toner

With purifying salicylic acid and blueberry extract that said to help fight signs of acne, I actually don't really like this one. It kinda stings a little bit (maybe because of the strong alcohol in it) and it dries my face too so I can only use this when I have break-out.

Skin Food Tea Tree Toner (mentioned here)

This is my typical everyday toner. This actually specifically meant for oily or blemished skin because it contains tea tree but I think it's a pretty light toner that normal skin can also use. I like this toner because it lifts off the oil on my face without leaving any sticky residue. This also helps pick up light traces of makeup residue after I cleanse my face.

What are your favorite toners? I might try it as well ;)

Hugs and Kissies,

I hardly ever use cleansing pads/towelettes nowadays but I still have them because I still like to use them for those days that I don't wear much makeup. If I only use minimal makeup and I'm too lazy at the end of the day I'll use a couple of cleansing towelettes followed with a milk cleanser and toner.

One of the cleansing pads/towelettes that I'm currently using is this Jean Pierre Cosmetic Facial Cleansing Pads with Microbeads that I got from drugstore.com.

I picked this up because of the microbeads feature which I thought is quite unique because on one side you'll get the usual soft cotton surface, but on the other side you'll get a surface with green microbeads to help exfoliate and removes dead skin cells. At least that's what it claims to do ;)

It all sounds very interesting to me. And according to what it says on the packaging it is also alcohol-free, hypo-allergenic, and PH balanced. It also claims to deep cleans down to the pores and leaves a silky smooth skin.

Here's the ingredient list for those of you who might need to see what's in it:

There are 16 pads inside the little mint-green packaging and each of them is actually quite thick so you won't get that flimsy pad that breaks as soon as you use it on your face. I usually use the soft side first to lift off makeup from my skin and then continue with the exfoliating side which has microbeads to help clean my skin a little better.

I have used all the pads in this little package and from my experience I think these are quite good cleansing pads. The soft side can really pick up dirt and light makeup from my face (although I still have to do a second cleansing), and the microbeads part felt good on my skin when I use it.

The soft side:

 The microbeads side:

So what about you?

Would you choose cleansing towelettes over cleansing pads too?

Hugs and Kissies,

I think I haven't uploaded hauls & freebies post for a while here, so I thought today I'm gonna post about it. So here is an accumulation of the hauls that I recently purchased over the course of 4 months, and some freebies too ;p

Since I'm a self-proclaimed shopaholic so I have quite several hauls to share here, so I would make this into two parts instead: Fashion part and Beauty part. I would also make another home decor hauls on my other blog TIGERLILY'S BOOK in a few days. Meanwhile, here is the Fashion hauls first (in no particular order):

Ebay Purchase:

Necklaces from Ebay

Grey Furry Slippers

From Jakarta Great Sale:

Burberry Brit Blue Plaid Shirt

Forever 21 Red Tartan Shirt

Abercrombie & Fitch Gingham Shirt

Payless Silver Sandals

Scarf bought from a cousin

From H&M Sale:

H&M Aviators

H&M ring

From a shopping trip to Kemang Village:

Stradivarius Blue/White Shirt

Stradivarius Brown/Creme Blouse

Guess Handbag

From Adidas outlet :

Adidas T-Shirt

Adidas Pink Lipstick(!) Jacket

(the rest in the photos are hubby's and bro's football shirts)

Lebaran Sale:

[Matahari]

Details Boho Blouse

Details Boho Maxi Skirt

Details White Blouse with Studs Buttons

[Lebaran Sale / Instagram Stores]:

Ethnic Print Skirt bought from Instagram store

 

Ikat Green Pants from insta store

[Lebaran Sale / Metro] :

Icons Lace Maxi Dress

From a shopping trip to PIM & Gandaria City:

 Payless Black T-Strap Sandals

DC Supergirl Crop Top

Blue Necklace (Freebie)

Rose Pants (Freebie)

Chic Simple Hi-Lo Dress

Chic Simple White Cardigan with lace trim

Forever 21 Fuchsia Tanktop

Forever 21 Cream Tanktop

And the most recent purchase last week:

Payless Black Elastic Shoes

And here are a couple of photos consisting of look book and when I was wearing my new purchases above :

( DC Supergirl Crop Top )

( Stradivarius Brown/Creme Blouse & Stradivarious blue stripe shirt )

( Chic Simple Hi-Lo Dress  )

( Details white blouse with studs button )

( Details boho blouse & maxi skirt )

As I told you above, these are accumulative hauls from a 4 months period, so I didn't buy these many stuffs in one go. Also, I like reading hauls post (because I'm nosy like that), and that's why I want to put up this post for those of you who are nosy like me too ^o^

The only freebies that I received during that period of time are the blue necklace that my brother gave me as a gift (featured in the "Shopping trip to PIM & Gandaria City" photo above), and the black quilted Kate Spade bag that I won from winning Clozette Daily giveaway! (*happydance*).

I usually don't count sponsored items as freebies because they are given to me in return for an honest review post, so I never count them as freebies. But you can see from one of the photos above I accidentally put up one freebie which is the rose pants from Sheinside into the hauls post (on the "Shopping trip to PIM & Gandaria City" photo above), so please just ignore that ;)

So what did you get recently?

Do you have a recent haul post too? 

Please link up so I can read about them too ;)

To continue my previous Sally Hansen product launching event post, here is my review on the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Colors.

As a summary, the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color is advertised as the season's most covetable colors with maximum radiance and high shine. It also has durability to withstand the wear and tear of everyday activities such as washing hands, touching detergents, chlorine, etc that can make your nail colors look dull. 

The Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color also available in 26 shades which are divided into 3 categories: IRIDESCENCE (pearlescent pastels and shimmering metallics), POP (vibrant bold bright colors), and FANTA-SEA (glittering aquatic tones).

At the event I tried some of the nail colors that were available in our table. I created a simple #NOTD which is an aquatic themed nails with glittery tip (see above photo of my poorly applied nail colors, LOL). 

I was also able to do another nail look from the Triple Shine collection that I created using the nail polish that I received as a complimentary gift. The shades I received are Dive In, Hypnautical, and Lemon Shark.

Same as the previous #NOTD above, the Dive In is the aqua/turquoise matte, while the Hypnautical is a light aqua green iridescent shimmers. The only new shade that I received is the Lemon Shark which is a vibrant yellow which is from their POP collection.

I really like the color combination of these three shades. The colors look fresh and gorgeous to look at. When I wore them together it reminds me of summer and the beaches with coconut trees and fresh pineapple cocktails on the side ;)

The iridescent Hypnautical is also a lovely shimmer because it is pretty subtle so it gives just the right amount of sheen on your nails. If layered a couple of times it builds up into a thicker iridescent shimmers. 

The light shimmer also made it possible to layer this with other nail colors. I spotted a pink, green, and blue freckles of shimmers in this particular shade.

The glitters are (as usual) a little bit harder to remove, but with a good quality nail polish remover you will get it done in just several minutes. The colors glide on beautifully, and I also love the wider size brush that makes it easier to cover a bigger area of your nails, making application much more easier.

Durability (as I told you above) is pretty good, and the color and shine does lasts long. The color options are so fresh and beautiful and makes you want to collect them all ;p

For price and where to get these nail polishes, check out my event recap HERE.

What do you think of these new Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color?

I think this is my first skincare routine post in this blog after many years of beauty blogging. The reason of why I never put up a skincare routine in this blog before is because I find myself changing products a lot so I never stick to the same routines. But now that I have tried quite a handful of products I finally settled down to a regular routine that really works with my skin at the moment. 

My skin is normal to combination, but currently it is more oily than dry. So my current skincare routine consists of products that are geared towards normal to oily skin. I have tried many products before and for the mean time here are the products that I've been using regularly and works well for me:

I always make sure to double cleanse or even triple cleanse (!) to make sure that all those dirt, oil, and make up got off my face thoroughly. So here are a couple of cleansers that I used for my current skin condition:

I usually start with a cleansing oil to remove my makeup and then followed with a good facial wash to get rid of any residue and also to clean the skin more thoroughly.

Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil ( reviewed here )

I love cleansing oil ever since my first trial of the Shu Uemura WhiteEfficient Clear Brightening Cleansing Oil. I got this Etude House Real Art cleansing oil from Beauty Korea a while ago and I still got a couple of uses out of it before this goes to the bin. I have reviewed this cleansing oil before and my opinion remain the same. But if I were to compare this to the Shu Uemura version then I would prefer the Shu Uemura one although this Etude House version is also quite good (and much cheaper too!).

SkinLife Foaming Facial Wash ( reviewed here )

I've been using this facial wash since several months ago and I still haven't emptied the bottle yet, and that's because it is such a big bottle and I only need one pump of this foaming facial wash to clean my whole face. A little goes a long way, so this face wash is really a money saver. I have reviewed this face wash before and my opinion remains the same. Basically it keeps my face clean from oil and dirt, and I love to use this right after I used my cleansing oil.

I used the previously mentioned "cleansing oil + face wash" formula for when I used a complete makeup (foundation, concealer, bronzer, eyeshadow, etc). 

But if I used lighter makeup (bb creams, powder, mascara) then I usually just go with regular makeup remover that doesn't need to be washed with water. Sometimes I also use this formula if it's too late at night and I'm too lazy to go to the bathroom / too sleepy to touch the cold water in the bathroom.

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover ( mentioned here )

Before I started cleansing my whole face I usually start with removing my eye makeup first. One of my HG eye makeup remover which I find so powerful in removing eye and lip colors, even those harder waterproof eyeliner/mascara is this Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for lids, lashes, and lips. Totally in love with this eye makeup remover and I always recommend this to others if they asks about my favorite eye makeup remover ;) 

Kose Nature & Co Pure Cleansing Milk

I used to like using cleansing milk to remove my makeup but that was before I started using cleansing oils and micellar water which is like heaven-sent to remove makeup. Cleansing milk should be used with another layer of cleansing products because you might not get all the makeup off just from using this product only. So I usually followed with a micellar water or a heavy-duty toner or a few sheets of makeup remover towelettes. 

ROC Extra Comfort Cleansing Water ( mentioned here )

This is a micellar water based makeup remover which is similar to the popular Bioderma one but this one is cheaper ;) I found that this make up remover is almost as good as the Bioderma Sensibio H20 that I've tried before, so it's actually worth to be re-purchased. The formula is able to lift-off makeup, dirt, and oil from my face without leaving greasy residue at all. I really love this one and would make a proper review soon.

The SkinFood Tea Tree Toner ( mentioned here )

As the last step I would pour this tea tree toner to wipe my face to pick up the last trace of makeup and also to prep my skin for the next treatment products. I have several toners in my stash that I used in rotation based on my current skin condition, and because my skin is currently more oily than dry so this is my pick of toner for my current skincare routine.

TREATMENTS.

I like to put some face / skin treatments in my skincare routine because a good skincare needs more than a thorough cleansing. It must involve a good skin treatments too as the next step for a healthy looking skin. These treatments include daily skincare such as moisturizer, serum, etc as well as weekly skincare such as face scrubs and masks.

My daily Morning skincare routine includes a face wash in the shower using the SkinLife Foaming Facial Wash that I mentioned in the first photo, and then continued with a serum and moisturizer. Sometimes if I'm not lazy I would also add the SkinFood Tea Tree Toner mentioned above before I put on my serum and moisturizer.

V10 Plus Collagen Serum ( reviewed here )

This is one of my favorite face product which I love so much. Probably the best serum that I have tried so far (although I haven't tried that many serums yet). This serum has been really good for my skin and a regular daily use of this serum makes my skin condition a lot better. Sadly I am almost out of this serum so I'm using this sparingly right now ^o^

Wardah Lightening Day Cream

This is my morning moisturizer because it contains some UV protection in it. UV protection is important and I always make sure that my morning moisturizer has some kind of SPF in it to protect my skin from the damaging sun rays. This is more like a lotion than a cream but so far I think this is pretty good for a daily moisturizer.

Etude House Aloe Moistfull Soothing Gel ( reviewed here )

Because I have combination skin so sometimes my skin can still get a little dry here and there, especially right after a thorough face wash. If my skin gets dry after I wash my face, I changed my moisturizer (Wardah Lightening Day Cream) to this Etude House Aloe Moistfull Soothing Gel instead because this would give the moisture that my dry patches needed. If I use this in the morning then I would layer with my Clarins Day Screen High Protection SPF 40 for sun protection.

For Evening skincare time I changed the treatment products to match the need of my skin because at night our skin would heal itself during sleep, and the right products would help it heals faster and helps make the skin condition better. I use the same formula which is a serum + moisturizer.

Made From Earth Rosehip + Hibiscus Organic Face Serum ( reviewed here )

I had this since a long time ago but I kinda forgot about it along the way. I still have several uses out of it so I'm gonna try to use this up until it's empty because I don't like throwing away products. So this is my night serum now. As you can see from its name it has lots of natural and organic goodness in it, perfect for my skin to absorb it during sleep.

Garnier Sakura White Pinkish Radiance Sleeping Essence

This is a new product that I'm testing right now. I like the sweet smelling scent which seems so relaxing every time I used this lotion. It is supposed to give a brighter looking skin with healthy radiance, and I don't know if it really works or not but as far as I know I kinda like this light lotion because it smells good, relaxing, and it also doesn't feel greasy. It did leave some kind of residue on the morning though so I always make sure to wash my face first thing in the morning.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack ( mentioned here )

On some nights my skin can get dry so I use this Laneige Water Sleeping Pack which is a night / sleep mask that we can use before sleep and wash it off in the morning. I usually use this mask on my dry patches area only, and in the morning the dry patches would be gone, and it also keeps my skin hydrated all through the night.

Last but not least, the Weekly treatment!

I have a few kinds of masks and face scrubs that I used in rotation depending on skin condition, but here are a few of them that I used in my current skincare routine.

TonyMoly Latte Art Cappuccino Cream-In Scrub ( reviewed here )

I had this in my stash for a little while but I seem to always forget to use it. But now that I'm trying to use up my products again I started to use this Korean face scrub again. I have reviewed this before and my opinion stays the same. You can read the review for more details but basically this is a gel-turned-creamy-scrub that's gentle to use and feels warm to the skin resulting in a smoother and healthier looking skin.

SkinFood Black Sugar Mask Wash-Off ( reviewed here )

This is another Korean beauty goodness that I adore. SkinFood is a very popular Korean brand and they make good products based from natural resources. This black sugar face mask is a wash-off type which means you spread this evenly on the skin, do a circular motion to help make this mask do its job to our skin, and then wash it all off after leaving it on for several minutes.

GlamGlow Youth Mud Mask ( reviewed here )

This is one of the hyped products this year and I kinda like it too ;) This is a mud mask which is one of the type of masks that I like. I have reviewed this before and you can read more details about it in the review post, meanwhile it is a great "touch-up" mask if you want an instant face brightener and/or gets rid of the dull skin.

So that's it for my current skincare routine. Just like I said above, I always change products every now and then so my next skincare routine might be different than this one because I like to try out products and I also like to change up my skincare routine depending on my skin condition. For now, these are the range of products that I've been using and I hope this can give you some information especially if you have combination skin like me ^_^

What are your skincare routine HG products?