2020 Empties

Hey gorgeous, welcome back to my blog!  It's been so long since I last updated this space because I've been so busy with my new work as well as being a new mom. If you're reading this now, thank you so much for not forgetting me. 🙏🙏

So anyway, let's dive right into today's topic: the products I've been using and finished in 2020. If you're interested to find out more, keep on reading.

1) Co Lab Dry Shampoo

Let's start with some hair products that I have finished using and the first one is this CoLab Dry Shampoo in Mermaid. 

If you haven't already tried this dry shampoo, please go to your nearest drugstore now and stock this up! Hands down the best dry shampoo I have ever used! I like that the smell is really refreshing and not heavy at all. It really does absorb all the oil on my scalp, leaving my hair looking fresh and clean. And most importantly, it does not leave any white residue on my hair after spraying, unlike the other drugstore dry shampoo brand, Batiste. So if you are looking for a good and cheap dry shampoo, look no further and give Colab a try now! 

2) Percy & Reed dry shampoo original

I got this Percy & Reed dry shampoo sometime last year from Sephora and I think I finished it within a month. First thing first, I really didn't like the spray as it is not strong enough. I have to spam a lot to get the same effect as the Colab one. The smell is alright but not my favorite scent. It also doesn't leave any residue which is unfortunately the one and only plus point for this dry shampoo. I definitely will not repurchase it again since it is more expensive than the Colab one and I prefer the latter one anyway. 

3) Assorted Hand Creams

I finished using a few hand creams this year and these are the three that I kept. Crabtree & Evelyn's hand creams are really one of the best in the market but unfortunately the brand moved out of Singapore so I shall not talk about it since it's really hard for us to get it now. I also finished a hand cream from The Faceshop in Apple Pop and I didn't really like it that much. The fragrance is really fruity and sweet which is totally up my alley but the cream itself is very lightweight and watery so I felt that it is not that moisturizing. Will I repurchase it? Probably not. The last hand cream is one from Miniso in the flavour Lemon. I remembered talking about it in my Miniso Haul post and to my pleasant surprise, I honestly did like it and I think I will repurchase it. The Miniso hand cream is really inexpensive ($3.90 for 2) and I think for this price point, the moisture level is really pretty impressive. I do have really dry hands so I prefer hand creams that I borderline oily and this Miniso one definitely feels that way. It also has a light citrusy scent which I personally like so hundred percent will repurchase it. 

4) Simple Micellar Cleansing Water

Well so the next product is a major disappointment for me. You know I have always been a huge fan of the Simple Micellar Cleansing Wipes so when I saw that they have the water version, I knew I had to get my hands on it. BUT, it turns out to be one of the worst micellar water I've ever used. The most turn off thing about this Micellar water is that it has the most disgusting smell ever. It literally smells like saliva of a person with bad breath and I really don't understand why the smell. I mean it's not like I haven't tried any micellar water before and they usually don't come with any scent. The cleansing part is pretty decent but because of the smell, I know for sure that I will never ever touch this product again. Guys, just stick to their Micellar wipes you can thank me later. 

5) Etude House Monster Micellar Cleansing Water

This next product is a huge contrast to the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water because it has no scent to it at all and I am all for that. It works pretty well in removing my face makeup and certain eye makeup, other than waterproof mascara. It is very gentle on the skin and does not sting the eyes at all and I really do love the texture of this Micellar water too. I probably will repurchase this if I happened to pass by any Etude House Outlet when they are having sale just coz I usually don't wanna spend too much money on Korean beauty products if they are not on sale because they are already much more expensive in Singapore than anywhere else. 

6) Mamonde Rose Water Toner 

Next up, I also finished a bottle of Mamonde Rose Water Toner and I kinda don't know how I felt about it. It is quite moisturizing in my opinion and I definitely like the rose scent of the toner as well as the texture. It feels almost slippery on the skin and really smooth in my opinion. But apart from the moisturizing effect, I honestly didn't notice any other effects on me after using an entire bottle and I still have the Fresh Rose Toner with me so I don't think I will be repurchasing this for now. Overall I think this is a good toner if you like rose scent and is on a budget. 

7) Cotton Pads

This year, I was on a mission of finding a good cotton pad to replace my Daiso one so I've been using cotton pads from different brands. I think the closest dupe is the purple box one from Watsons. The texture and the overall design of the Watsons cotton pad is very much similar to the Daiso ones and in fact, I think the Watsons are a teeny little softer than the Daiso ones and I absolutely love the Watsons one now. As for the other one from Be Youtiful, which I believe is a local brand is slightly more expensive than the other two. The cotton pad is much thicker which I don't really think is necessary for me because I usually only need one to two layers for my skin care routine. I would say if you feel like indulging yourself with a more luxurious cotton pad, then go for the Be Youtiful one, otherwise I think the Daiso and Watson cotton pads are good enough and I will definitely repurchase them. 

8) Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Stick

In 2020, the one foundation that I've been using on a daily basis is this stick from Sephora in the shade 20 Cream and I love it to bits. It has a matte finishing yet it looks so natural and like second skin to me. I love that it is not drying and it is so easy to apply. It glides on the skin so smoothly and the coverage is definitely high. With this foundation, I do not have to apply concealer at all and it is able to cover all my blesmishes as well as dark circles. It also last a whole day on my face without caking up and I literally cannot see any differences after an entire day with make up on. Love this foundation and I have already repurchased it during the recent Sephora sale. 

9) Make up puff from Donki

I also finished a pack of makeup sponges that I bought from Donki and I don't think I will repurchase it. I still prefer my Daiso makeup sponges that I have been using for years now and they are cheaper and easier to get as compared to the Donki ones. In terms of usage, I think both of them are pretty similar so if you don't have a Donki store near your house, the Daiso one is pretty much the same and cheaper. 

10) L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray

Holly Molly, this setting spray is everything you need! I love this setting spray as it sets my makeup down nicely and my makeup literally last a whole day with this spray. The mist is really fine as well. In fact, I find that this L'Oreal setting spray is a dupe for the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and it is much cheaper. It makes me wonder how is it even possible that no one is raving about this setting spray?! If you love the Urban Decay one, then you really should try this Loreal one too because they are literally similar. Even the smell of this spray reminds me of the Urban Decay one. Definitely will repurchase it when I am done with my other setting sprays. 

11) L'Oreal Revitalift anti wrinkle+ firming eye cream

Unlike the previous L'Oreal product, this next one that I finished is not to my liking. I find that this L'Oreal eye cream does nothing to my eyes and I definitely did not see any improvement in the fine lines around my eye area. I ended up using this eye cream in the day time, before applying my makeup as it does sort of hydrates my under eyes and my makeup looks less cakey with it. However, I could have used any other eye creams for this purpose so I will not be repurchasing this ever again. 

12) Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye

This next product is my holy grail eye cream and I have been using it for years now. I like that whenever I use this eye cream, my eyes immediately look less fatigue. I also noticed that my fine lines are visibly lesser when I use this eye cream. Even though it does really help in reducing my eye circles, I do really like this product as it does improve the overall eye appearance and I definitely will keep repurchasing it. And by the way, I'm still looking for a good eye cream for the dark circles so do comment and let me know if you have any good recommendation!

13) Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer

Another holy grail skincare product of mine is this Origins Gel Moisturizer which I have recently finished. I like to use this in the daytime after I cleansed and toned my face. I like the citrusy scent which makes me feel more refreshed in the morning. The consistency of this moisturizer is gelish and borderline watery which I like because it is easier to absorb into the skin. It is very lightweight which is good for oily skin because you don't want your face to feel heavy even before applying makeup. It does hydrate the skin without making it look greasy. If you have oily skin like me, you might want to try this out. I am currently into my third tub of this moisturizer now and I know I will definitely repurchase it again and again. 

14) Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

This next product is not something new on my blog and I have also been using it for years now. I like that it is very moisturizing and yet not greasy. I hate the feeling of waking up to a super greasy face in the morning and this product does not attribute to that. The one and only thing I dislike about this moisturizer is that the pump sucks. You can tell from the picture above that I clearly still have some moisturizer left in the bottle but the pump didn't allow me to get them out no matter how hard I tried. So ya be prepared to waste a little of your moisturizer when you get this. Other than that, this is a decent moisturizer for oily skin. 

15) Fresh Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum

Next up, I finished a bottle of Fresh Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum. I like the scent of this serum and the texture of this serum is very different from other serums that I have used. It is thicker in its consistency yet easily absorbed. The most significant effect on me is that I noticed my face always look brighter after applying this serum. The price point of this serum is pretty good as well. I believe it's slightly lesser than $50 for this 15ml. A little goes a long way for this serum so even though it only has 15ml of product, it lasted me almost 6 months. But would I repurchase it? Not at the moment because I have any other serums that I prefer and I think I can live without it.  

16) Elizabeth Arden Around the World with 8 Hour Lip Protectant

I believe this lip Protectant from Elizabeth Arden was in one of my monthly favourite post and I still stand by it. It is probably one of the most moisturizing and hydrating lip product I have ever used and it really helps to soothe my chapped lips and protect it from getting dry. Hundred percent will repurchase it and highly recommending it to those of you who have got very dry lips too. 

17) Etude House Curl Fix Mascara

Lost counts the number of tubes I have gone through for this mascara. If you have stubborn lashes that refuse to curl up like mine, this is the mascara for you. I like that this mascara doesn't clump my lashes together and yet still give a reasonable volumising effect. My lashes look very natural and beautiful the entire day. It is very waterproof so no worries of becoming a panda on a rainy day. However, because it is very waterproof, it is really difficult to remove as well. I always use a mascara remover first before going for the makeup remover so it is not an issue for me.  Definitely will repurchase it again. 

18) Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil (mini) 

Got this brow pencil for my post on the full face makeup with mini products and it got me hooked. I like that the pencil is really thin so that you can draw feather-like strokes. My eyebrows look really neat and tidy with this brow pencil and I finally understand the hype about it when Benefit first launched this product. And can I say that they totally nail the name of the product because it really is Precisely My Brow hahaha. Have already repurchased it during the recent Sephora sale as well and this time, I got myself the regular size one. 😉

19) ZA brow liner

And the final empties of this post goes to Za Brow Liner! Love this brow pencil and I think it is the best drugstore brow pencil ever. I have already gone through so many of it and I think at this rate, this brow pencil will appear in all of my empties post. If you haven't already tried this Za Brow liner before, I don't know what're you waiting for?! 

And that's all of my empties in 2020! I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and I'm really grateful for every single one of you who have been reading and following my blog since day one. Thank you for being there and it really means a lot to me to know that people are actually reading my post. I will definitely try to do more posts regularly so do let me know what are the content you would like to see. That's all for today and I'll see you soon, xoxo.