The Used Up 2025:1

Half of 2025 has flown by and it is time for another empties round-up. In this post I will go through all of the makeup and skincare items that I managed to empty sometime during the first half of 2025, January through June. 14 items in total and out of those half were makeup products. That’s exciting!

Categories not included in this bi-annual post are SPF/body/nails/hair. I also want to highlight some things about my skin that can be useful to know before reading my thoughts on these products. I’ve always had combination skin that is prone to dehydration. Due to ageing my skin is changing so I am slowly adjusting my routine to its evolving needs. I still get the occasional breakout and can get quite shiny during the day, but my skin is less oily and a bit more sensitive and textured now. I do not have any ingredient related allergies.

Let’s dive in!

Cleansers

My current routine: I use a cream cleanser in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use a balm cleanser as a makeup/sunscreen remover in the evening. A micellar water occasionally assists in the removal of makeup. Sometimes I double cleanse. I usually have a couple of cleansers in action at any given moment.

Starting with a recurring staple, the Sensibio Make-up removing micelle solution (500 ml, around 200 SEK) by Bioderma. I’ve used this product on and off for years and I’ve become a bit more regular in my use of it recently. I use it as a first step to remove makeup if I have a lot on my eyes, or as a complete makeup remover if I am very tired and just cannot be bothered to use another cleanser. I also use it to remove makeup swatches from my arm.

The Squalane Cleanser (150 ml, 266 SEK) by the Ordinary is another repurchase. I still do not use it as instructed (dispensing it into hands and then rubbing them to melt the product into an oil before applying to the face) but simply massage it directly onto my dry face. Works well for me and a little goes a long way. I like it as a mild morning cleanse or as the odd second cleanse. Not a fan of using it to remove makeup. I’m sure I will repurchase this cleanser at at some point.

Essence & serums

My current routine: I always use a hydrating serum morning/evening. I also dabble with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

In this category we have three prodcucts that are new to me. Starting with the Watermelon Glow Dew Drops (15 ml, 249 SEK) by Glow Recipe. This is not a product I would have picked for myself, but my tween daughter chose this one for me. She has a budding beauty interest but is not yet of age to use a lot of the products that intrigues her. But she will be the owner of this empty bottle when I am done with this post. The product smells nice and has a nice feeling on the skin. But I did not feel it was the best fit for my combination skin, I do not need extra glow in my life. I am shiny as is.

However, the No. 3 Skin Softening Serum (50 ml, around 350-400 SEK) by Numbuzin was a hit for me. A lovely hydrating serum that worked well under other products without pilling. It is marketed as strengthening the skin’s natural renewal and healing processes and improve the skin’s elasticity and texture. I can see myself buying this one again (I tried to but it was sold out so I had to settle for another option).

Another hit is the Probio-Cica Intensive Ampoule (50 ml, around 300 SEK) by Skin1004. Focused more towards the wellbeing of more mature skin I picked this up in store of Yeppo Soonsoo in Gothenburg (as did I with the Numbuzin serum). It is marketed to help the skin to recover and gives radiance and support collagen production. I can only attest to my skin and my person liking it. I have since repurchased.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I vary the creams I use depending on the season and what my skin needs. A maturing combination skin that loves moisture but hates too many layers (products start to pill). For daytime my focus is hydration and spf that looks good under makeup and at night I might experiment a little bit more. I use oils sparingly but I like to have one on hand for facial massages or as an extra comforting layer when my skin needs it.

The Heartleaf 70 Intense Calming Cream (50 ml, 348 SEK) by Anua was picked last year as my winter option. It was lovely – very hydrating without feeling heavy, worked great day and night, including under makeup. Jars in general are not my favourite type of packaging (the need to use a spatula for hygienic reasons), but this one had a spatula that could be stored in the lid which made it less of an effort. I really enjoyed using this cream and can see myself buying it again despite the jar.

Another jar was the Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream (25 ml, 350 SEK) by Mizon. A gel-like cream that was very hydrating and worked very well under makeup. Only a little product was needed per application so the 25 ml lasted a long time. The only down side for me personally was that it was in a jar. It came with a spatula, but it had to be stored outside of the jar. The rounded lid meant I could not store anything on top, so I had a little rouge spatula that bothered me. I doubt I will repurchase.

Base Makeup

First we have Quick Fix Hydra-Charged Complexion Prep Priming Spray (118 ml, price unknown) by Urban Decay by Skindinavia. I am including this hydrating mist as a makeup item since that is how I used it – as a priming hydrator or as a refresher over makeup during the day. I enjoyed this mist a lot even though I was a bit infrequent in my use of it. If it was still available I might consider repurchasing it, but it is discontinued. Urban Decay and Skindinavia have recently parted ways, but I think this one has been unavailable for a while. I checked the Skindinavia website and they do have a priming spray available but I cannot easily see if it is the same product, since it is described a bit differently.

Then we have my attempt at replacing for the discontinued NYX colour corrector (HD Studio Photogenic Concealer), namely the Camo Color Corrector (2,8 ml, 59 SEK) in Green by Elf. I picked this up when I realised that my previous staple was discontinued. I also bought the new version from NYX but that one has not seen too much action as of yet. Below you can find a colour comparison of the three.

When I realised that the colour was much more yellow than the NYX one I was a bit disappointed, but I quickly noticed upon using it that the shade worked very well with my skin tone. Maybe better or a more natural result even? Since buying the Elf version I have one found several of the old NYX formula in the sale so I have quite a few of those to go through before circling back to the Elf one, but it is a worthy replacement for sure. I am very happy about that.

Then we have the Close-Up Futuristic Foundation (30 ml, price unknown) by Nabla in the shade L10 Light. I bought this in 2019 and used it a lot for a few years and then took a break. I used the last bit up recently and also realised that the product has been discontinued. That is sad because I really enjoyed this one. The shade was a great match in tone (albeit a bit light) and I was able to get quite the coverage without looking cakey. If it was still available I would consider repurchasing.

Mascara & brows

Continuing on with a mascara. It’s a tubing mascara as per usual, this time the Dailism Smudge Stop Mascara Volume (9 g, 199 SEK) in black by Heimish. I bought this one when I could not find and repurchase the Dailism Smudge Stop Mascara Curling by the same brand. It seems like the formula is the same between the two, but you can purchase the brush version you prefer. I must say I prefer the slimmer brush if the curling version, but the volume one worked well with only a little bit of fallout. I have not repurchased because I have since found a new tubing favourite – the Lash XTNDR Mascara by Elf.

Miscellaneous makeup

Then we have two shades of the Gloss Embrace Lip Gloss formula (4,5 ml, £20) by Lisa Eldridge, Blush Lightly and Sorcery (I have previously used up Blush and Muse in the same formula). I enjoyed both shades and they were very subtle on my lips. This gloss can be found in three pigment levels and I think both of these were the middle one, named Light Natural Pigment. I say think because Blush Lightly is not on the website anymore so I suppose it has been discontinued. Sorcery is still available. As I have previously concluded (The Used Up 2023:2) am not a gloss/high shine person and this is not the perfect product for me. But I can use them and enjoy them to a degree and the reason for repurchasing has always been my interest in the shades that Lisa creates. I like this nourishing formula and use the glosses applied lightly, dabbed in the center of the lips and then blended with a finger. That is how I reach the subtle shine and balmy comfort level that I prefer. The pigment level and the large applicator is just not optimal for my lip size or my gloss preference but for someone with a larger lip area who loves a glossy lip this is should be a very lovely option.

Ending with a favourite both in colour and formula. The Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour (3,5 g, £27) in Painterly also by Lisa Eldridge. I picked up this lipstick when it was first released in the Spring of 2021. For me this is one of those perfect shades that look good with most makeup looks, give a bit of something something to the lip in form of colour and is in a comfortable formula. I wear this a lot to work and when I want a quick and easy lip. The formula is just shiny enough (for my taste) and very pleasant to wear all day. Of course I have to reapply during the day but that is to be expected with a formula like this, and I do not mind it. I have quite the collection of shades in this formula, but Painterly is for sure my favourite one. I have repurchased it already and the little stump left of the original one will be put in archive.

And that was all! Not a lot of skincare in this round but I think the next six months will see a lot more items emptied.

Thank you for reading!