Product empties: Lush Cosmetics, Ole Henriksen, Sooper Beaute, etc.

I've got an overflowing basket of products I've emptied out since my last empties post in April, so I need to get this blog post up so that I can finally throw these away!


Palmolive Naturals Intensive Moisture shampoo and conditioner. Love this affordable, available-everywhere hair care product for making hair softer. I've been using it on and off for years. This has fetched compliments from someone behind me in the office elevator that my hair still smelled good at 6 p.m.

Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter shampoo. It's supposed to be a moisturizing shampoo for dry, damaged hair, but my hair doesn't feel much softer or smoother with this. But I do prefer using this for a deeper clean than the Palmolive one gives me for when my scalp feels particularly oily.

Lush Cosmetics Helping Hands hand cream. Good for those who don't like heavy hand creams. It does still feel a little greasy to me, so I only wear this before going to bed. I use it on both my hands and feet.

Lush Cosmetics Glogg body wash. This is a limited edition release that I honestly forgot about in my backup stash, but amazingly, it still retained its sudsiness over the years. Nothing super special about this except for the addicting mulled wine scent.

Myra hand and body lotion. I think most Pinays have used this at some point. It's an affordable, lightweight lotion that's good for our tropical weather. If you have particularly dry skin, though, this might be too light to be effective for you.

Belo Essentials clinical strength anti-perspirant and deodorant. Works as it says it does, but I don't really feel it being much more effective than Belo Essentials' other roll-on deodorants to have the "clinical strength" label on it.

Sooper Beaute Complexion Refining Kojic Acid lotion. Really nice for making skin smoother. After a few weeks of daily use, my skin got that nice sheen that smooth skin shows off. Sooper Beaute products are natural and Philippine-made. They're always affordably priced, but they have sales pretty often if you want to save even more.

Curious by Britney Spears perfume. This also took me a long time to use up because the scent started getting boring for me, but apparently, it's one of the best-selling celebrity perfumes of all time. It's girly but not too sweet or cloying. The bottle is pretty, though I don't leave out my perfume bottles on display to protect them from dust and sunlight.

Bath and Body Works Wild Citrus Sunflower body lotion. I've been constantly using Bath and Body Works lotions for more than a decade. The fragrance lasts a long time but isn't too strong as to interfere with whatever perfume you layer on top.


Bobbie nail polish remover. Another staple in many Pinays' manicure sets since it's affordable and available everywhere. It does still leave white marks on my nails, but it's nothing that a proper wash and lotion won't cure.

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect First serum. Such a good nighttime product to remove the last of the dirt on your face, and refines and softens the skin. Highly recommend! I will repurchase, but much later in the future because I still have a bunch of other products waiting to be tested in my stash.

T.N. Dickinson's witch hazel. Several of my friends and I swear by this as a facial toner or to soothe blotchy skin. Those who've bought it upon my recommendation have also said that they love it. Available at Healthy Options.

Neutrogena Deep Clean long-last shine control facial scrub. A good facial cleanser that can remove dirt and makeup and won't dry skin out. I only used this at night before bed, though, so can't really vouch for the shine-control part since I only get oily when I'm out and about.

Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus mattifying creme. This is probably the most disappointing product I've encountered in a while. It's not a bad product - it worked fine as a facial cream. But for $50+, I was expecting a lot more, based on the Sephora reviews that this is best for combination skin. The only thing it has going for it is that it's lightweight, but I saw no dramatic effect on my skin. I'd say save your money for something else.

Sooper Beaute pore minimizing serum. An affordable one to try for blurring pores. Absorbed immediately by skin and you won't feel it after application if you hate any sort of weight on your face from facial products. For me, also helps with oil control on my T-zone.

Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion in Sin. I find that Urban Decay eyeshadow primers work best with Urban Decay eyeshadows, but not that great with other brands. Sin is a shimmery primer that amps up the, well, shimmer in your shadows, but it's actually also pretty on its own.

Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil in Medium Brown. These brow pencils have already been phased out - who knows why, when these are the bomb. Perfect for creating on-point brows if you want that clean and sharp line. The tip is fine enough to lightly draw on strands if you like the gradient brow effect that feathers out at the front. The annoying thing with this is that the tip breaks off so easily, so you have to make sure that you only twist up just enough...If you can still find these online, anyway.

Etude House Drawing Eyebrow. Needs no introduction among Pinays; just about everyone I know uses this pencil. Can't count anymore how many of these I've used up.

K-Palette 1-Day Magic liquid eyeliner. Super long-wearing, smudge proof, and with a tip that's not too skinny that doing your eyeliner will take half your day. The liner stays jet black, unlike other liners whose applicators absorb product and start fading over time.

L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara. So gorgeous for a long, fluttery lash effect. Not particularly thickening so you may not be a fan if you want bold, really voluminous lashes, but very pretty for a soft, eye-opening look.

Any thoughts on these products or have something to recommend? Let me know! I always love hearing about new things or products that have always been around that I've yet to discover.