The Used Up 2025:2

In this post I will go through all of the makeup and skincare items that I managed to use up sometime during the second half of 2025, July through December. 23 items in total and out of those nine were makeup products.

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.

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.

As mentioned in my last empties post I bought some Glow Recipe products because my tween daughter is interested in the brand and I have promised her she can play with my empties when I am done. The brand is not really appealing to me personally but it is always fun to try new stuff and it makes her happy, so here we are. Two products from the brand are in this post starting with the Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser (150 ml, 369 SEK). This cleanser was on the thicker side and I found it a tad difficult to get out of the tube. The cleanser has a very green fruity scent that reminded me of melon and it foams when used with water. It is marketed as makeup removing but not to be used around the eyes and for me that sort of defeats the purpose a little bit. I’m also not the biggest fan of foaming products in general so I used this one primarily in the shower, but only if I was makeup-free. It is for sure a nice cleanser that works well but just not for my personal preferences.

Continuing with a recurring staple, two bottles of Sensibio H2O makeup removing micellar water (250 ml, around 190 SEK) from Bioderma. I have been reaching for this a lot recently because I’ve been tired. Sometimes I use it to do a first cleansing round on my eyes and lips and sometimes I really cannot be bothered and use it all over my face as my only cleanser. I also use it to remove swatches from my hands and arms. This product works well for me and I have another bottle in use at this moment.

Then we have two jars of a cleanser I tried for the first time in 2025, the Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm by Dr. Althea (50 ml, 258 SEK). The balm is unscented and the jar has a grinding mechanism under the lid that dispenses product by twisting the top without having to dig into the product with fingers or a spatula. I enjoy that feature a lot and have been repurchasing this one since then.

I am currently using 2 different cleansing balms at the same time, but when I’m down to only this I will keep an eye out for how long a jar actually lasts. But I enjoy the balm itself, not only the packaging, and it is a pleasure to use. It removes makeup very well and I can use it on my eyes without problem.

Toners & mists

My current routine: I usually have a hydrating spray on hand that I use after cleansing, before serums. Sometimes I use a toner as a complement, either a hydrating one or an exfoliator. In the evenings I might finish with a more nourishing mist (with oils) as a last comforting step after hydration, but I do that very infrequently.

This is a lot of toners/mists for six months but a few of these have been in use for a very long time and I just focused on using them up before they expired. Normally there are one or two empties in this category per bi-annual post.

The big jar is my fist foray into toner pads. I picked the Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad (160 ml, 278 SEK) by Anua when I visited the Yeppo Soonsoo store in Gothenburg. I was recommended these when I asked for a mild exfoliator. It is described as soothing toner with gentle PHA-exfoliating ingredients. It does the job as intended, mild exfoliation without being harsh in any way. The pads can be used as a mask as well but I never did try that. I really enjoyed using this product and I can see myself repurchasing in the near future.

The Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist (75 ml, 379 SEK) from Glow Recipe was interesting to try since I’ve heard a lot about it online. I never considered it a product for me since it has glow in the name and I have a naturally glowy (read oily) skin. But as I mentioned this bottle will now be fun for my daughter to have so I took one for the team. I did like the mist, it was vey fine, and the scent is pleasant but not something I feel I need to experience again. Also I do not need glow in spray form. This product is probably a lovely mist for other people, simply not for me.

I tried the the Collagen Tonic by Pixi (250 ml, 299 SEK) for the first time in 2021 and have repurchased it relatively regularly since then. I still enjoy it as a hydrating toner patted into the skin morning and night. I might repurchase in the future but right now I have got a toner from another brand I am using instead.

The Daily Acid Toner (100 ml, around 400 SEK) by Josh Rosebrook took me many years to use up. Not sure it was in good condition at the end. This exfoliator never became a favourite due to the smell of the product. It is a clean beauty brand and the products simply smells like its ingredients, but I found it deterring. So I did not reach for it regularly enough to bond with it or notice its effects on my skin. It was a struggle to use up and in the end I used it to exfoliate my hands. Josh Rosebrook does not have a Swedish stockist at the moment but I have tried a few of their products over the years and my favourite is by far the Hydrating Accelerating Mist, I would repurchase that in a heartbeat. But this toner is a no for me.

Moving on to a new to me mist, the Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Cloudy Mist (120 ml, around 300 SEK) from Skin1004. It has a rather fine mist but I did not enjoy the feel of the product on my face. Felt like spraying myself with nothing. No positive feeling on my skin at all. It also smelled both like nothing and something at the same time. Very weird. I used it up but was not enjoying the process.

Then finally we have the Rose Glow Mist (80 ml, 249 SEK) by Pixi, another product that took ages to use up. This mist contains oils and I primarily used it as a last step in the evening when I felt I needed the extra layer of moisture. I have previously used the regular version of this mist (in 2021) and wanted to try the rose version when I ran out of my first bottle. I have enjoyed it, it’s a nice product, but I think it is unnecessary for me moving forward. It had a purpose for me a few years ago but my skin is different now and other products fulfil its needs.

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.

This time there was only one empty serum and it is because I have multiples in rotation right now. This is my first bottle, but not my last, of the No.5+ Vitamin Concentrated Serum (30 ml, 358 SEK) from Numbuzin. I bought it for the vitamin C but is has a long list of other ingredients described as smoothing, brightening, moisturising and balancing without being irritating. The serum has a thicker texture and I find that on the days I use this I do not need to put much on top. Usually I just go in with sunscreen or if it’s in the evening I just use a little bit of a lighter moisturiser. I really enjoy this serum and I currently have another bottle in use.

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.

First up we have an eye cream and one I did not think was for me until I tried it. The Avocado Creamy Eye Treatment by Kiehls (7 ml, not available for purchase) was a mini that was part of a box set I picked up. I imagined this eye cream was for people with dry skin and that my skin would hate it but that was not the case. The thick cream worked best when I rubbed it between my fingers quickly before applying and then it applied beautifully. Really lovely and hydrating and it worked well under makeup. I have another eye cream in use right now that I really like but if I in the future thinks my under eyes need a bit more comforting moisture I will certainly consider purchasing this again.

The 147 Barrier Cream (50 ml, around 320 SEK) by Dr. Althea was another new to me product in 2025 and it is now a firm favourite. Initially I used it mainly in the evening as a final layer but it was also used in the daytime during the colder months. It did not make my skin feel greasy or anything, just a very elegant cream. I do have a new tube waiting for me in my cupboard, but I am focusing on using up a few other creams first.

Base makeup

The Perfect Hydrating Foundation (25 ml, around 100 SEK) by H&M was never in a perfect colour for me but it was neutral and sheer enough to be a good mixer with other (flawed) foundations. This is the shade 2N Light Neutral and I have since bought another shade (1W Cashew) that is a bit lighter and more yellow. I have not worn the new shade much though so opinions on that will come later. But, as I am checking out the H&M website to find the price of the product I realise it is no longer available. I’m not sad because I doubt the new shade will rock my world but I am always a bit annoyed when products are discontinued (unless they are really crap). I usually dislike formulas with spf in them but I did not really find it bothersome in this specific formula. Maybe because I used it as a mixer.

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (10 g, 530 SEK) by MAC Cosmetics is an old favourite that used to be my go-to setting powder. My previous one was used up in 2019 (and then the price was 315 SEK!!) and since then this powder has been used less frequently and differently than before. I moved on from using it every day as a setting powder, due to changes in my taste and skin, but continued to use it as a touch up powder since it gives a slight bit of coverage. Then I tried other products and this compact was neglected despite being well used. This past year I made a dedicated effort to finish it and remembered why I liked it. So I have purchased a new one recently but I am saving it in my backup drawer. I have a few other powders in use right now that I want to finish first.

Mascara & brows

The Lash XTNDR Mascara (7 g, 109 SEK) in Pitch Black by Elf has quickly become a new staple for me. It is the least flaking tubing mascara I have used so far with a great price. It is also easy for me to find both online and in stores where I live. I have another one in use currently.

The Shape Shifter Eyebrow Gel (4.8 ml, 70 SEK) in Clear by H&M was an ok product. Not great and not bad. It had a nice small brush and did not look white and crusty when it dried. The only negative is that it could not really tame my brows as well as I had wished. I will try some other brow gels moving forward but if I get frustrated I might go back to this one. Its cheap and better than no brow gel at all.

Miscellaneous makeup

Then we have my final bottle of the Gloss Embrace Lip Gloss (4,5 ml, £20) by Lisa Eldridge, in the shade Decade (I have previously used up four other shades in the same formula). This gloss can be found in three pigment levels and I think Decade was in the most pigmented one, but the shade is now discontinued. I like the formula of this gloss but I have, as I have previously mentioned, an issue with the large doe foot. It distributes too much gloss for me which is not optional since I am not a high gloss lip person. I had to apply a small dot on my bottom lip and blend with it with a finger to get the desired effect. The colour was stunning when blended out though (I would have liked it even more if it was a bit less pigmented). I have not repurchased a Gloss Embrace since finishing this one and I am unsure if I will. I might if a really delicious shade comes along, but for now I have plenty of other lip products that I should show some love.

Velvet Fawn is the first shade of the True Velvet Lip Colour (3.5 g, £27) by Lisa Eldridge that I have used up. I own so many shades of this lipstick formula but this is my first empty. As you can see I have left a little nub since I want to put this lipstick in archive. A few years back I started to keep a little archive of some special yet old makeup items in an archive (I have space for it) for the memories and in some cases as colour reference. But back to the product and shade in question today. I knew when I bought Velvet Fawn that it might not be perfect for me. I knew it was on the lighter and warmer side. But I loved the name and it looked so good on other people. So I wanted to try it for myself. I have worn it on my lips over the years, often combined with a deeper liner and/or something glossy on top. But it always felt a bit off. So I tried it on my cheeks instead and realised it worked great as a warm but not too warm blush on me. Very wearable. Lisas lipsticks are great as blushes in general and especially the velvets. So that is how I used it up, as an everyday blush. My lesson with this lipstick is that a light and matte shade, especially a warmer one, is not ideal to my preferences.

The Colour-To-Go Crayon (2.8 g, around 90 SEK) in When in Rome by H&M has been discontinued for quite a while. I did buy a backup when it was available so I have another one in use right now since it a great wearable brown for me. Looks good with almost any makeup look. Not too warm or too cool or too glossy. Just perfect. I do wish this was still available but I guess I just have to enjoy the one I have and move on.

Then we have a tool, a brush. It is a very old stippling brush (price unknown) from Real Techniques and I do not think this specific one is available anymore. I used it primarily for cream blush but the reason it is in this post is because it has started to become scratchy from usage over the years. It has done its job well but it is spent. I have other brushes that can take its place so I do not need to look for a replacement.

Lastly we have a tool adjacent product. This one is from MAC and it’s their Brush Cleanser (235 ml, 199 SEK). I used to use this product maybe 10-15 years ago and then stopped having this kind of cleanser available. I switched over to cleansing my brushes and makeup tools with Dr Bronner liquid soap instead. However I recently realised that it is good to have a quicker option available too for in-between my more proper cleansing sessions (with the soap). I wet a paper tissue with the cleanser and swirl my brush on the tissue until clean. The brush dries quite quickly after cleansing. A note is that I use this cleanser for brushes that have powder products on them primarily, maybe one with a little cream blush. But not for brushes with foundation, concealer or a lot of cream products on them since it will not work. I have repurchased this cleanser and is currently using it.

2025 empties wrap-up

A note on this type of summary: All of these specific items were not purchased in one year , some were bought several years ago and some were bought with a discount. I’m not doing these wrap-ups to track how much I spend but rather to highlight to myself the “worth” of the products I actually use up in one year. It shows how I spend my money on certain consumables and it gives food for thought. I also spend my money on and therefore own quite lot of items, mainly makeup, that will never end up in this kind of post because I will not have time to use them up before they expire.

To summarise 2025 I managed to use up: 7 cleansers, 3 face mists, 4 essence/serum, 2 eye creams, 2 face creams, 1 colour corrector, 1 makeup mist, 2 foundations, 1 powder, 2 mascaras, 1 brow tamer, 3 lipsticks and 3 lip glosses, 1 brush and 1 brush cleanser. That is a total of 34 skincare and makeup products worth around 9 000 SEK if purchased at full price today. An average of 265 SEK per item compared to 395 SEK the previous year. I like that. I seem to have found a nice balance between price points.

During 2025 I did buy and try a lot of new skincare and some intriguing makeup items. I am very pleased with my purchases but also very aware that I have older stuff to use up (if possible). My makeup wearing was a bit infrequent this past year and I had multiple options in each category in use at the same time, both factors that affected the number of makeup related empties. The same goes for skincare – I had multiple face creams, toners and cleansers opened at the same time simply because I like variety and was curious about trying new products. But so far I have managed to use everything up before expiry. The only exception was face oil. I almost never manage to finish a face oil before it goes rancid, so they never make it to this end of year post.

It feels nice to conclude this year and recycle the trash (or give it to my kid to play with, as promised). I already have several new empties from the fist months of 2026 that want to live in that designated basket.

Thanks for reading!