January Empties 2020

*Post contains affiliate links and PR products.

Welcome to my first empties post of 2020! We're one month in already.

Thicker Fuller Hair Shampoo and Conditioner (PR, available HERE from Boots for £10 each) - These were a lovely shampoo and conditioner. They're SLS free and vegan. Both left my hair soft and clean. I didn't notice any thickening of my hair but it's super thick anyway so I think it would be hard to tell! If you've got thinning hair, they're definitely worth a try.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I prefer Function of Beauty's haircare (found HERE).

We Are Paradoxx Shampoo and Conditioner (PR, available from Boots, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic for £18 for the shampoo and £20 for the conditioner) - You can read my full review of these HERE but to recap - lovely haircare from a socially conscious brand. Both left my hair soft and smelling lovely. I especially loved that the conditioner is multi-use.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I prefer Function of Beauty.

Davines Minu Shampoo and Conditioner (bought myself, available HERE for £16.90 for the shampoo and £18.60 for the conditioner) - These we an "Instagram made me do it" purchase as I'd seen loads of people rave about this brand. Sadly I didn't think much to these. They were nice but nothing amazing.

Marks out of 10: 5/10

Do I recommend them? Not really, there's better out there (in my opinion).

Will I repurchase? No.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (bought myself, available from This Works & Space NK for £19.50) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - This is the original and best for me. I use it every night and it works! I love it and won't be without it.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Function of Beauty Leave In Conditioner (bought myself, available HERE for £15) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - it's a fantastic leave in conditioner. My favourite I've tried. It's super light, doesn't weight hair down or make it look greasy and it smells amazing. It leaves hair soft and nourished.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Skinceuticals Phloretin CF serum (PR, available from Skinceuticals for £150, Skin City for £128 and Look Fantastic for £150) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is an absolutely fantastic Vitamin C serum. Definitely one of the best I've tried. It's effective, pleasant to use and doesn't oxidise too quickly either. The downside is the cost - it's expensive.

Marks out of 10: 9/10 marked down 1 due to the cost, else it would have been a 10!

Do I recommend it? Yes if it's in your budget (if not try THIS ONE instead, reviewed HERE)

Will I repurchase? I've been lucky enough to have been sent a top up of this so I'm continuing to use it. I wouldn't pay full price for it as it's out of my budget, however if it was on offer I would most definitely repurchase. (Skin City often have really great offers so it's worth keeping an eye out!)

Jan Marini Bioclear Face Lotion (bought myself, available HERE for £44.50) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap - this is a fantastic exfoliating serum with a mix of AHA and BHA acids. I had great results with it. For a time, it was my favourite exfoliating serum but I've since changed my mind, preferring Drunk Elephant Framboos as over time, it's given me better results. This is definitely a close second though! Plus it's a more budget friendly option.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Unlikely as I prefer Framboos.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in shade Ash Brown (bought myself, available HERE for £10) - This is a fantastic brow pencil and is a dupe for Benefit's Precisely My Brow, which I previously used. This is half the price! It's a super fine twist up pencil, that's perfect for individual hair strokes. It's long-wearing too. Plus it comes in a good selection of shades - I use Ash Brown.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

A.Florence Anti-Pollution Deep Cleansing Oil (free sample with purchase - available HERE for £27) - I had enough for two uses of this. It's a medium weight oil that removed makeup easily. It didn't sting my eyes when I removed eye makeup either. It left my skin soft and clean.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I purchase it? Probably not as I prefer a balm cleanser to an oil.

Evy Technology Daily UV Face Mousse SPF 30 (bought myself, available from Space NK and Evy.uk for £25, however you can save 15% at Evy.uk using my affiliate code TORIA15) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to re-cap - this is my favourite SPF and the only one I use now. It's super light, very hydrating, non-greasy, doesn't leave a white case, doesn't block my pores, offers great protection and never, ever pills! It really is the best, in my opinion.

Marks out of 10: 10/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Of course! I always have a back up.

Pixi Beauty Vitamin C Serum (PR, available from Pixi & Cult Beauty for £26) - This is a nice serum but I wasn't blown away by it. I think it's a fairly gentle vitamin C serum. It was hydrating and absorbed easily. It had a very strong citrus scent which I imagine could be an irritant to some people (it wasn't for me). I think it would make a good starter Vitamin C serum.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? If you're new to using Vitamin C, yes. If you're used to Vitamin C, it's probably best to give it a miss.

Will I repurchase it? No.

Good Molecules Pure Cold Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil (PR, available HERE for $10) - This is a lovely, rich, nourishing oil but sadly I can't get past the scent of it! It really puts me of. It's purely a personal thing though as I know many are fine with it.

Marks out of 10: 6/10 only marked down for the scent, the oil itself is lovely!

Do I recommend it? Yes, my dislike to the scent is personal preference.

Will I repurchase? No.

Beauty Pie Superactive Capsules Essential Ceramides (bought myself, available HERE for £7.55 for Beauty Pie members) - If you're not familiar with Beauty Pie - read my review HERE. I loved these the first few times I used them. They're such a rich, nourishing serum - almost like a hug for your face! However I often had pilling issues with them which is a huge negative for me, so I'm passing them onto a friend.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? No.

Apothaka Barrier Support Serum (PR, available HERE for £19.50-59) - This is a lovely hydrating serum with the added benefits of Niacinamide and Ceramides. It's quite a thick serum so feels nourishing. I had occasional pilling issues with this but most of the time it was fine.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because I prefer to use Paula's Choice Niacinamide Booster instead.

Good Molecules Super Peptide serum (PR, available HERE for $12) - This was a lovely light serum, easily absorbed and well hydrating. It has a pleasant citrus scent but it's very subtle. I didn't see any other effects other than hydration from this.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? It's worth a try for the price! You might have better results from it.

Will I repurchase? No.

Freshly Cosmetics Green Vitamin Concentrate Serum (PR, available HERE for 35 Euros) - This serum has such a lovely consistency! It smells wonderful too - really fruity. It leaves skin nicely hydrated. I had occasional pilling issues with it.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes especially if you're in to natural skincare.

Will I repurchase? No

Vichy Ideal Soleil Hydrating Sun Protection Water SPF 30 (bought myself, available HERE for £19) - This is a brilliant SPF for your body. It's a really light water like consistency, so it absorbs really easily. It leave skin hydrated thanks to hyaluronic acid. It's not greasy either. This is very close to it's use by date (I've had it since last summer) so I've passed it on to a friend who's going on holiday so it doesn't go to waste. SPF's efficiency can degrade over time so they're one product that you shouldn't keep for longer than recommended.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Definitely!

Pixi Beauty Glow Mud Mask (PR, available HERE for £18) - This is a brilliant mud / clay mask. It's a fairly thin consistency so spreads easily. It's brilliant to clear pores and refine skin tone. My only slight gripe is the strong fragrance. It's not unpleasant, just a bit much.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because of the scent.

Dr Botanicals Cocoa & Coconut Superfood Reviving Hydrating Mask (PR, available HERE for £19 for a bigger pot) - Putting aside that it's name is a bit of a mouthful, this is a gorgeous mask! It's quite unusual as it contains clay but is still really hydrating and nourishing. It doesn't dry down either which is great. It leave skin soft and clarified.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes at some point.

Freshly Cosmetics Cherry Blossom Facial Mask (PR, available HERE for 19.50 Euros) - This is a lovely hydrating mask. It has a light floral scent. Consistency wise - it's like a jelly / cream.  It's very cooling to apply and leave skin soft and calmed.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because it has a similar function to REN's Evercalm mask which I prefer.

May Lindstrom The Problem Solver (bought myself, available HERE for £89) - I had a bit of a love / hate relationship with this mask. It's a powder that you add water to, then mix to create a gorgeous mousse mask. It contains a mix of clays and spices to clarify and calm skin. It's described as a warming mask, which technically it is but it's thanks the spices like cinnamon! I found it could burn a bit if my skin was a bit sensitive which isn't great as it's advertised to be especially good for those with acne, psoriasis, rosacea. I think it's great for blemishes but if your acne is sore, I'd definitely avoid! Scent wise, it's like a spice cupboard! You'll either love it or hate it. It's a strong scent too. I wasn't sure to start with but did like it in the end. It's very messy to remove, you have to use a cloth then splash rinse to get rid of the remnants. You need to give your sink a good rinse too! After use, skin is left soft and clarified. It's definitely great to help clear congestion. You get loads too. It might be expensive but it'll last a long time, even with regular use. This expired before I was able to finish it.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes if it's within your budget.

Will I repurchase? No. There's plenty of other masks that I prefer that have the same function but cost a lot less!

Skin City First Concentrate serum (PR, available HERE for £33) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is a brilliant niacinamide serum that's great to help with skin texture and oiliness. It's reasonably priced and layers well with other products.

Marks out of 10: 8/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Unlikely because I prefer Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster instead.

Hada Labo Deep Wrinkle Corrector for eye and mouth (PR, available HERE for £14.95) - This is a brilliant eye product. I would say it's more of a serum consistency than  a cream. It's light, hydrating and absorbs easily. I love that they suggest to apply it around your mouth too as I always do this with my eye cream anyway. It's great value too.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No because it doesn't beat my favourite eye cream Drunk Elephant C-Tango.

Clinogen Zap-it Spot Treatment (PR, available HERE for £32) - Unfortunately this product didn't really work for me. I didn't think it cleared my spots up any quicker than using acids. I wasn't keen on the applicator either, it's a sponge which I don't think it's the most hygienic.

Marks out of 10: 2/10

Do I recommend it? Personally no, however I know a number of people that swear by this! So, as we're all different, it's worth a try!

Will I repurchase? No.

Bare Minerals Flawless Finish Application brush (bought myself, available HERE for £25) - It's not often you'll see a brush on my empties! I've probably had this brush about 10 years. I got it in a set with the mineral foundation. I've used it as a bronzer brush. It's great to blend with. Sadly it's started to shed it's bristles hence me throwing it out. It's lasted brilliantly really, especially the amount of times it's been washed.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not as I could get one cheaper elsewhere.

Pixi Retinol Tonic (bought myself, available HERE for £10-18 depending on size) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is a lovely toner. The retinol in it is very gentle but it's a great way to top up your retinol use or a as a starter retinol. It's very hydrating too.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Probably not as I prefer an acid or hydrating toner.

Vitage Renewal Daily Moisturiser (PR, available HERE for £39) - Unfortunately I didn't get on with this cream, purely because of the fragrance! I suffer with migraines from certain scents and this set me off. It's not particularly strong either. Such a shame as the cream itself is lovely! It's hydrating and also contains acids to gently exfoliate.

Marks out of 10: 6/10, marked down because of the fragrance.

Do I recommend it? Yes, my issue is purely personal.

Will I repurchase? No.

Vitage Renewal Night Recovery (PR, available HERE for £39) - Sadly this has the same fragrance as the day cream so didn't work for me either. This is a much richer version, it's almost like a balm! Super thick and nourishing, really gorgeous.

Marks out of 10: 6/10

Do I recommend it? Yes, my issue is purely personal.

Will I repurchase? No.

Erborian CC Crème (bought myself, available HERE for £18-39 depending on size, this is the travel sized) - This is a gorgeous no-makeup makeup product. It's available in two shades but adapts to your skin tone. I'm shade Clair which is the paler shade. Its very light coverage but does a brilliant job of evening out your complexion. It gives a natural finish. Sadly I didn't get a chance to use all of this up before it expired as it only lasts for 6 months.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Yes at some point.

Coconut Dream Bath Bomb (gift, not sure where it was from) - This was a lovely bath bomb. Smelt amazing and left my skin really soft.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? If I see them yes.

REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm (bought myself, available from REN, Space NK, Look Fantastic, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique for £40 - shop around, there's often offers on!) - You can read my full review of this HERE but to recap - this is an absolute hero product for me! It's a beautiful balm, that melts into skin. You only need a very small amount too, so it lasts ages. It's particularly great in winter. It's very hydrating too. Highly recommend!

Marks out of 10: 10/10!

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? Already have.

Bioglan Beauty Collagen supplements (bought myself, available HERE for £18.99 - often on offer) - You can read my review of collagen supplements HERE - these are my favourite type to take as they're just like eating sweets! Super tasty.

Marks out of 10: 9/10

Do I recommend them? Yes

Will I repurchase? I already have.

Rituals The Ritual Of Sakura Body Scrub (PR, available HERE for £14.90) - This is a gorgeous body scrub. It's cherry blossom scented. It's a very scrubby scrub, if that makes sense! It's oil based so leaves skin soft and nourished.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No, it's a bit too scrubby for my skin.

Samaya Kapha Hydrating Cleanser (PR, available HERE for £59) - This is a lovely cleanser. It smells very spa like. It's a brilliant second cleanse, leaving skin super soft.

Marks out of 10: 7/10

Do I recommend it? Yes

Will I repurchase? No, it's a bit more than I like to spend for a cleanser.

And that's it for this month! Thanks for reading.