May 2024 Declutter

Continuing on with my slow declutter of health and beauty products, these are the ones I let go of in May 2024.

In May, I decided to go through a section of products that I don't use often - tanning products.  I had a feeling some of them would be expired, so I wanted to check if any were salvageable and could be tried out.  I don't like to waste products, but most of the self-tanners and after suns I owned I'd received in beauty boxes over the years, and I hadn't gotten around to trying them.

I also had another quick check through some of my lip products to look for any that had expired, or were old, and I didn't use anymore.

• B. By Superdrug Sunkissed Glow Bronzing Mousse - I don't really use self-tan products except for sometimes on my face, so out of these tanning products, this is the only one I had actually bought myself; the rest were from beauty boxes.  I bought this Superdrug tanning mousse years and years ago to try out, but never got around to it.  I finally tested it, and it seemed to be expired, as it came out green.

• Vita Liberata Fabulous Self Tanning Gradual Lotion - I had tried this before, and the texture of it was still ok, but it didn't smell very nice anymore, so it had also probably expired.

• Bellamianta Self Tanning Tinted Lotion "Medium" for Face/Body - Another expired tanning product that I had never actually tried - it seemed to have separated in the tube, as it came out like a thin liquid rather than a lotion.

• James Read Gradual Tan Sleep Mask Tan Face - The James Read tanning lotions are ones I have used in the past and work out quite well on my face.  This one had become very runny though, so it needed to go.

• Monuspa First Defence Soothing After Sun - I'd not gotten around to trying this after sun, and it didn't smell very nice, so it also had to go.

• MineTan Replenishing Rapid Recovery After Sun Gel (2 x 50ml) - Both of these were meant to have a gel consistency, but they were more like water, so they were decluttered.

• Percy & Reed Big, Bold & Beautiful Dry Instant Volumising Spray - I tried to use this quite a few times, but I didn't like the way it made my hair feel.  It did help to add a bit of volume, but it didn't last very long for me, so I let it go.

• COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid - I'd had this for quite a few years and used it on and off, but I'd never really seen much improvement from using it.  It also irritated my skin a little sometimes.

• Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 Cleanser for Face and Eyes - This had, unfortunately, expired - it smells awful, which was a shame.

• Nip+Fab Fixes No Needle Fix Eye - I tried this for a little while, but I just didn't like the way it felt on my skin.  It was very thick and sticky, and didn't fully soak in, which caused issues when applying concealer near my eyes.

• Bali Balm Lemon & Black Pepper - This still smelled really nice and lemon-y, but the consistency of it didn't seem quite right, so I parted with it.

• W7 Bare All! Uncovered Pressed Pigment Palette - I had all 3 of the W7 Bare All palettes, and this was the medium shades one.  Unfortunately, the colours would pull very warm and orange on me, which isn't my preference.  The shadows themselves performed quite well, but I decided to pass it on.

• BPerfect Stacey Marie Carnival IV The Antidote Liquid Shadow "Brass" and "Honey" - I really wanted to love these liquid eyeshadows, as the colours were really pretty.  Sadly, they would go on quite patchy and didn't last very well on me.  I tried different techniques for applying them, as well as using different eye primers, but I couldn't get them to work well, so I let them both go.

• Huda Beauty Lip Strobe Metallic Lip Gloss "Angelic" - This was a gorgeous gloss, but I don't really wear metallic lip products anymore - it was also quite old.

• Bellápierre Cosmetics Kiss Proof Lip Crème "Antique Pink" - This was a very nice shade of pink, but it didn't smell very good anymore, so it had possibly expired.

• Barry M Matte Me Up Matte Liquid Lip Paint "Signature" - Another metallic lip product that I wouldn't use anymore.

• Barry M Gloss Me Up Lip Gloss "Party Starter" - This was a really lovely, sparkly lip gloss, however, the smell of it had changed so it had probably also expired.

• MUA Luxe Whipped Velvet "Ritzy" - This was quite a nice lip product, it had a powdery, matte finish and used to smell really nice.  However, it was another that seemed to have expired.

• Barry M Take A Brow Shape & Define Brow Gel - I'd used this clear brow gel for a few months, and although it didn't have the best holding power, it worked well enough for me in most situations.  It had started to discolour though from being contaminated with brow pencil residue and foundation, etc. going back into the tube, and in turn, this was leaving a light tint on my eyebrows and was making them look flaky.  I have other brow gels to try still, but this is one I would buy again, but try to get the spoolie clean before putting it back into the tube.

That was everything I parted with in May 2024 - not as much as some previous months, but I feel like I'm in a better position to be able to give products a bit longer to try out before making a decision on whether to let them go than I was earlier in the year.

There are still some categories of products I know I need to go through and check if they've expired - body creams especially - but this is an ongoing thing for me, and I will eventually be able to check through everything.

As ever, anything that can be hygienically passed on will be, and the remainder will be recycled where possible.

Are there any categories of products you know you have too many of and won't be able to use before they expire?

May 2024 Empties

I'm back with another "empties" post - this time from May 2024.  This was another good month for me for finishing products and resisting the temptation to buy more, although I did buy some coloured eyeliner pens.

I managed to reduce my stockpile of items by 25 again this month - pretty decent progress if you ask me - quite a few were samples and mini-sized products that I've received in beauty boxes over the years, but there were a few full-sized products too.

I tried to focus on remembering to use certain types of products this month (primarily face masks and pulse point rollers) to whittle down my collection even more.

Here are the products I used up in May, and whether I'd repurchase them or not.

Haircare

• TRESemmé Rich Moisture Conditioner - I've used the TRESemmé conditioners for years now as they are good value and leave my hair feeling softer and smoother than with others.  This big bottle lasted for months and it smelt really nice.  I already have a replacement and will continue to buy it for the foreseeable future.

• Umberto Giannini Scalp Scrub - I used this a few times a month, and it felt like a nice treat for my scalp.  The scent was quite nice, it wasn't too harsh on my scalp (but you could still feel it scrubbing) and it washed out fine.  I feel like my hair stayed fresher for longer when I'd used it.  I would repurchase it.

• Bleach London Reincarnation Mask - This smelt ok, but I didn't really see or feel any difference in my hair when I had used it, so I wouldn't buy a full size.

• Philip Kingsley Elasti-Styler 5-in-1 Treatment - Although I love the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer mask, I wasn't a fan of the Elasti-Styler.  My hair didn't look or feel very different when I had used it, and it took a bit longer to dry with a hairdryer.  Another I wouldn't re-buy.

• Dr. PawPaw 7-in-1 Hair Treatment Styler - I mainly used this as heat protection when drying my hair.  It had a nice scent, and my hair looked a bit shinier after using it, but it didn't wow me enough to want to repurchase it.

• Batiste Stylist Hold Me Hairspray - I really liked this hairspray, it managed to help my hair hold curls without feeling stiff or sticky.  Unfortunately, it looks to be discontinued, so I can't repurchase it - otherwise I would!

Bodycare, Supplements and Toothpaste

• Imperial Leather 'Let's Flamingle' Pink Lychee & Raspberry Fantasy Icons Shower Gel - This smelt absolutely beautiful - the raspberry came through really well.  It made my skin feel soft and clean when I used it.  It's such a shame it was a limited-edition scent, or I would have repurchased it.

• Rituals... The Ritual of Jing Relaxing Body Scrub with Salt & Magnesium - This was an ok body scrub, but a bit too oily for me.  It had a lovely scent, though - as most Rituals products do!  I prefer the TreacleMoon body scrubs now, so I wouldn't buy this one again.

• Lynx Attract for Her Rose & Bergamot Deodorant Bodyspray - Despite this being classed as a rose scent, it wasn't overpoweringly floral.  I do prefer cream deodorants, but I used this one throughout the day when needing freshening up.  I still prefer the Sure spray deodorants, though, as I think they last longer, so I wouldn't buy this again.

• Weleda Evening Primrose Age Revitalizing Body Oil - I'm sure I've mentioned before, but I don't really like the feeling of body oils on my skin (I don't like the sticky texture).  I did use this one up, though, since it was such a small bottle.  I used it on my legs after a bath, and it soaked in a bit better than others I've used before - however, I still wouldn't buy a full size of it.

• VeryWell Beauty Collagen Gummies - I'd decided to try some collagen supplements to try and improve the condition of my skin, nails and joints.  I went with gummies to start with as I was already taking a few other tablet supplements, and these ones were quite tasty - they were apple and blackcurrant flavour.  I took these for a while, but couldn't really say if they made much of a noticeable difference.  They were on an offer in Asda when I initially bought them, so I had a few bottles to work through.

• Colgate Elixir White Restore Toothpaste - I really enjoyed the Elixir toothpastes, although I think the charcoal one performed better than this whitening one (though it did have a lovely spearmint flavour!).  The only negative with them is that the bottles are quite hard, so it's tricky to get all the product out at the end.  They look to be discontinued now, though, or I would possibly keep repurchasing.

Skincare

• Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash - This was an ok face wash.  It did a pretty good job of removing makeup, but it left my skin feeling a bit tight after use, so I wouldn't repurchase it.

• ESPA Clean & Green Detox Mask - This face mask had a nice fresh scent, but it was a bit too drying for me, so I wouldn't re-buy it.

• Korres Greek Yoghurt Probiotic SuperDose Face Mask - I got a few uses from this tube, and the mask made my skin feel a little softer and brighter, so I would like to possibly buy the full size to try out once I've worked through other face masks I have.

• Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Super Bounce Mask - I'm not quite sure how I used up so many face masks this month!  This one was another that left my skin feeling a bit tight and dry after using it, so I wouldn't buy this one again either.

• Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - I used this on my face on days when my skin was feeling a bit drier, and it seemed to do a good job of hydrating my skin.  I would like to buy a full-size of it to try it out for a bit longer.

• Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Air Soft Face SPF30 - I really liked this SPF cream, it smelt really nice, and soaked in well without causing any issues with my other skincare products.  I would definitely re-purchase it once I've used up some other SPFs I have.

• Polaar SPF30 UVA-UVB Velvety Sun Fluid Face & Body - This SPF was ok.  I don't feel it soaked in as easily as the Hawaiian Tropic one, though, so I wouldn't get this one again.

• Olay Serums Vitamin C + AHA 24 Day Serum - This serum made my other skincare products pill if I used slightly too much, so I had to be a bit more mindful when applying it.  I've since tried a couple of other vitamin C serums which I really enjoyed using, so I wouldn't buy this one again.

• Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense - This was a decent hyaluronic acid serum, but I've used a couple of other (much cheaper) ones now which I liked more, so I wouldn't buy the full size of the Medik8 one.

• Becca First Light Priming Filter - I didn't really see much difference in my makeup when I used this product.  It gave a slight sheen to the skin when applied, but I don't feel it showed up much after applying foundation/skin tint.  Another pass for me.

Hand and Nail Care

• Cuccio Naturale Lavender & Chamomile Butter - I love the scent of this hand and body butter!  I use it on my hands after I've painted my nails (when they've fully dried) and it's so creamy and hydrating.  I've used it for a long time now, and I'll continue repurchasing it for as long as it's sold.  I do also have it in a different fragrance to try.

• NEOM Organics Pulse Point Great Day Mood Lifting Roller - This had a lovely scent - minty and bright.  I enjoyed using it up, but I wouldn't repurchase it.

• Scentered 'Love' Pulse Point Balm - This also smelt beautiful - slightly floral and woody, but also a little musky.  As much as I enjoyed the scent, I had to consistently remind myself I had this balm to use, so I wouldn't buy it again.

• Leighton Denny Miracle Mist Speed Drying Spray - This seemed to work ok to make my nails touch-dry a bit quicker after painting them.  They still took a similar length of time as usual to fully dry, though, so I wouldn't repurchase this.

• The Body Shop Strawberry Hand Balm - This smelt ok, just a bit more synthetic than I'd have expected.  It still did a good job at moisturising my hands, but I will stick to my favourite - the satsuma hand cream.

• The Body Shop Mango Hand Cream - This smelt nicer than the strawberry hand balm, but it also had quite a soapy scent.  I liked using it, but I wouldn't buy this one again.

• Bubble T Cosmetics 'Berry Christmas' Cleansing Hand Gel - This hand gel didn't smell as fruity as I expected it to - it actually wasn't an overly pleasant fragrance.  It dried quite quickly, and didn't leave any residue on my hands, though, but I wouldn't repurchase it.

Another good mix of products used up this month, but not quite as many that I would go out and buy again.  I am enjoying working through different products, though, and seeing which work for me and which don't.  It's also nice to see my hoard of products become a little smaller each month!

Have you used any of these products too?  Do you have any recommendations for good hydrating and brightening face masks?