In this post I will go through all of the makeup and skincare items that I managed to empty sometime during the second half of 2024, July through December. 10 items in total and out of those five were makeup products.

As per usual I’m not including all beauty consumables in this bi-annual post. Categories not included are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I still prefer not to track those categories. 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. But I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 43) 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 now. I only react badly to products on occasion and I still have not discovered any ingredient related allergies.

Let’s dive in!

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.

The Hydrating Milky Mist by Pixi (80 ml, 279 SEK) used to be a recurring favourite but was ultimately dismissed in 2019 due to having consecutive issues with the packaging (the mist). But last year I decided to give it another go and it seems like Pixi has solved the mister issue. The mist is very fine and I could use up the entire bottle without issues. I am very pleased. I will definitely purchase this product again.

Essence & serums

My current routine: I like to use a hydrating serum 1-2 times a day and it is a core item. I also dabble with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

The Rich Moist Soothing Serum by Klairs (80 ml, 429 SEK) is a great hydrating serum. The consistency was on the thicker side, but not in a negative way by any means. No scent and it did the job. This large bottle lasted me quite a while and I can see myself buying this product again.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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 Rose Quartz Supreme Rich Cream (50 ml, 749 SEK) by M Picaut is still a firm favourite. Right now I do not have it in use but I do miss it. I will most likely buy it again soon. It is nourishing and smells delicious. My skin loves it.

Masks

My current routine: I do not have one. I use masks very infrequently but usually I like to have a lineup of a hydrating one, an exfoliating one and a deep cleansing one. I like to use an overnight mask when I have one.

These two masks by M Picaut was kindly given to me by my family as a birthday gift. I was intrigued by them when they first launched and put them on my wish list. But since I am such an infrequent mask user it has taken me a while to use them up. The Rock Crystal Clear Treatment Mask (50 ml, 499 SEK) was the one I reached for the most often, not because I particularly enjoyed it but because I craved the promise of a deep purifying effect. Unfortunately this mask has a smell that I cannot enjoy. I suspect it is the sulphur, but I do not know. If the smell was only prevalent when using the mask it would have been fine, but it lingers on the skin after removal. And that fact is one of the reasons why I am hesitant to buy this again. The other factor was that my skin reacted badly a few times when using this mask, on my neck and cheeks, so I think I’m a bit sensitive to this particular formulation. It says to leave it on for 5-10 minutes and my skin probably couldn’t handle the full 10 and I most likely used it that way. So a little user error on my part. But I’m rarely sensitive to anything skincare-wise so it did not occur to me to be especially careful. When using it up I was more mindful and used it primarily on my t-zone in the end. This jar lasted me for about 10 uses.

The Aventurine Radiance Treatment Mask (50 ml, 499 SEK) agreed better with my skin and also lasted 10 uses. However my verdict is tainted by my very infrequent use of the mask. I think I enjoyed it just fine, but I never used it frequently enough to notice anything special about my skin. It was a very mid experience and I think it was mainly my fault. I kept it way past its expiry and it was a bit dry in the end. I might try this again in the future and give it more love. But right now I am in the mood to try something else. I must say I tend to use masks in tubes more frequently than masks in jars. Something to think about.

Base makeup

The Rose Inc Softlight Luminous Hydrating Concealer in the shade LX 010 (10,8 g, 365 SEK) was a nice product for me. A fair neutral and a bit dirty toned shade, as you can see in the swatch above. A rare shade on the market. A bit light, but I prefer too light over too dark. The product is very pigmented and I used it in a few different ways. Dabbed on top of foundation to add more coverage. Mixed into foundation either to lighten, add more coverage or to neutralise the colour. I have bought replacement and it is currently in use.

Then we have the usual – the HD Studio Photogenic Concealer (3 g, 109 SEK) by NYX in the shade Green (CW12). Only one tube this time, but it is due to me having multiple correctors in use at the same time. This product has been discontinues sadly, but I have some backups that my daughter found in the sale. Hopefully they will be good to use when I get to them but I do realise they run a risk of being old by then.

The Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment by Dr. Jart (15 ml, 215 SEK) is a product that change colour a bit when you rub it onto the skin. For me this small jar was a try on to see if I liked the product, and I did. It was light enough for me to use and the green evened out the redness on my face in a very effective way. It did such a good job that it could stand alone as my base on some days. When this jar was finished I naturally bought a replacement and was not pleased to find out that they had changed the formulation. The cream now became a much darker and more beige shade when rubbed onto my skin. I am sure this change was great for a lot of people who are darker than me, but for me it made the product unusable. I am trying to use the jar I have by mixing it with other things, but this is sadly a product I will not purchase again.

Mascara & brows

Next is a tubing mascara that was new to me – Dailism Smudge Stop Mascara Curling in black by Heimish (9 g, 159 SEK). It did leave some particles under my eyes during the day but it was minimal. I could see myself picking this one up again.

Miscellaneous makeup

Then we have one final makeup product, one lone eye shadow primer. The primer is an old favourite – the Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Anti-aging version, by Urban Decay (10 ml, 325 SEK). I have used this a lot over the years and it is my go-to eye primer at this point. I enjoy trying other brands once in a while byt I tend to revert back to this one. I does the job without interfering with my blending and the tube lasts for ages.

2024 empties wrap-up

A note on this type of summary: All of these specific items were not purchased in one year, some were gifts from friends/family and some were bought with a discount. Obviously I have loads of items, mainly makeup, that I will never use up and that will never end up in a post like this. 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.

To summarise 2024 I managed to use up: 4 cleansers, 2 face mists, 1 essence/serum, 1 eye cream, 3 face creams, 2 masks, 1 concealer, 3 colour correctors, 2 mascara, 1 brow tamer and 1 eye primer. That is a total of 21 skincare and makeup products worth around 8 300 SEK if purchased at full price.

Those numbers are an all time low. Lowest number of products used and lowest amount by far. One reason for the number of products I can think of is that started buying and experimenting with more skin care and makeup products last year and have multiple items in the same category in rotation at the same time. So each item takes longer to use up. So I think the number of empty items will be higher in 2025. But please do note that the numbers are lower but the average cost per item is higher than ever, so I still buy and use up products that are more expensive than previous years. Another reason for low numbers of items might be the fact that I have had more makeup free days in 2024 than usually. Otherwise I think more makeup products would have been emptied. I’m still good at using up the skincare items that I buy before they go bad and I hope I can keep this up despite have so many options in rotation. I am currently doing my best to use up some liquid lip products (lip gloss, lip balm and lip mask) before they go off. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading!

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 2024, January through June. Some items wear near empty when the year started and some were were unopened, but they all ran out during that time period. 11 items in total and out of those three were makeup products.

As per usual I’m not including all beauty consumables in this bi-annual post. Categories not included are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I still prefer not to track those categories.

I 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. But I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 42) 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 now. I only react badly to products on occasion and I still have not discovered any ingredient related allergies.

Let’s dive in!

Cleansers

My current routine: If I have a cream cleanser or something similar I use it in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use a balm cleanser as a first step in removing makeup and/or sunscreen in the evening. I might go in with a second round with the same cleanser that I used in the morning or the balm again. But I have been less prone to double cleanse in the evening compared to before. I usually have a couple of cleansers in action at any given moment.

The Glow Mud Cleanser by Pixi (135 ml, 279 SEK) has been a staple for some time and I mainly used it in the shower in the morning. The big difference this time around is that I will not repurchase it. Simply because I find that my skin prefers even more gentle cleansing nowadays and I will heed to that. So I have grown out of this cleanser, but it was a great product for the younger me.

I tried the Squalane Cleanser (150 ml, 266 SEK) by the Ordinary in 2020 but in the smaller 50 ml size. I enjoyed it then but felt I ran out too quickly. This time I bought the 150 ml and had no such feelings. I really like this mild cream to oil cleanser. I did 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 just massaged it onto my face directly. It dissolved my makeup just fine but I also enjoyed it as a morning cleanser. I can see myself buying this product again in the near future. A good basic staple at a great price point.

Then we have the big no surprise to anyone – Golden Amber Probiotic Cleansing Balm (125 ml, 399 SEK) by M Picaut. I still love using this cleansing balm and repurchase as soon as I run out. As I have previously written – The smooth honey-like texture and warm and comforting scent is a joy to massage onto my face. It does not sting my eyes or leave any residue after removal.

Then we have a product that is new to me. It is the Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser (100 ml, £43) by Lisa Eldridge. It is marketed as a hybrid balm cleanser, face mask and facial massage treatment and that in itself is an intriguing concept. The uphill for product is that I already adore a similar product, the Golden Probiotic Cleansing Balm by M Picaut. So my standards are super high. The big difference between the two is that the Skin Enhancing Treatment doubles as a face mask/treatment and that is how I tried to use it. The texture is smooth and lovely and the scent is subtle. I was not very impressed at first (again, high standards) but the more I used it the more I enjoyed it. I can see myself picking this one up again when I make an future order from the brand, as a treat. This is the first skincare item I have tried from Lisa Eldridge and I am now keen on trying the face mist as well.

Toner & 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.

The Hydrating Accelerator by Josh Rosebrook (100 ml, 399 SEK) is recurring favourite that would recur more often if I only could get my hands on it. It is currently not stocked at Caeleste and I had to buy another mist to replace this one. I bugs me a lot that it is out of stock so often and that it takes so long for it to return.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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 Rose Quartz Supreme Rich Cream (50 ml, 749 SEK) by M Picaut is still my go-to cream for night and even day during the colder months. I love that it is in a pump and so easy to dispense. I enjoy the scent and the texture and find that my love for it makes me blind to the fact that the price point is high. I still repurchase this cream every time I run out.

This was my first bottle of the Energizing Eye Cream (30 ml, 499 SEK) by Acasia. A nice eye cream that lasted a long time with a pump that was easy to use and dispense the right amount. I will consider buying this product again but right now I have another brand in use.

Base makeup

A single base makeup item this time. A staple, the HD Studio Photogenic Concealer (3 g, 109 SEK) by NYX in the shade Green (CW12). Sadly this product seems to be discontinued and I am looking for a replacement. I have another tube in action right now but when they are gone they are gone.

Mascara & brows

Starting with the Expressioniste Brow Pomade (5 g, 350 SEK) in Clear. It keeps my brows in place and looks great whilst dry. This was my second tube of this specific product but I did not repurchase another one immediately when I ran out. Not because I did not want to use it again but rather I wanted to see how necessary a brow tamer really is in my routine. After many months without I can now say that I do miss it. Sometimes I just want to shape my brows a bit and put stray hairs in their place. So I might by a new tube of Expressioniste Brow Pomade soon again.

Then we have a mascara from MAC, the Extended Play Gigablack Lash (5,7 g, 310 SEK). I purchased this since it is a long lasting formula that can be removed with warm water. Compared to my previous mascara from Surratt, this was similar in effect but not as easy to build. It smudged a tiny bit less than the Surratt one (se my previous posts for info on the Surratt mascara) so they are comparable products to me. Good but not great. However I am searching for something that smudge even less than those two. I am currently trying a similar mascara (long lasting that can be removed with warm water) from Heimish and so far it is a winner.

And that was all! It seems like a small amount of items for six months. But I have been wearing makeup a lot less lately and that affects how I prep and cleanse my skin as well. Less product use, less empties I guess.

Thank you for reading!

Yet another year has passed and THEN SOME, and it is time to do the second and last instalment of the Used Up. We are well into 2024 at this point but in this post I will look back a bit and go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the second half of 2023, July through December. In that period I managed to finish a total of 20 items and out of those 9 were makeup products.

As per usual I’m not including all beauty consumables in this bi-annual post. Categories not included are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I still prefer not to track those categories in any way.

I want to highlight some things about my skin that can be useful to know before reading my opinions on these products. I’ve always had combination skin that is prone to dehydration. But I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 42 now) 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 now. I only react badly to products on occasion and I still have not discovered any ingredient related allergies.

Let’s dive in!

Cleansers

My current routine: I use a cream cleanser or something similar in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use two cleansers in the evening. One oil/balm as a first step in removing makeup and/or sunscreen and then I go in with a second round with the same cleanser that I used in the morning or the balm again. I usually have 2-3 cleansers in action at any given moment.

Let’s start with an odd one. This is the battered tube of the Hydrating Milky Cleanser (135 ml, 279 SEK) by Pixi. This is my first tube of this specific cleanser and I’ve had it for several years. The product is not milky as the name suggest, but more a cross between solid and a cream. Very odd. I’ve tried to illustrate it with the below pictures.

If I add a bit of water is dissolves easily and if I add a bit more it foams a lot so you only need a teeny tiny amount to cleanse the whole face. But it was not what I envisioned when I bought what is described as a cream cleanser. The information on the tube says it should be massaged onto skin, but nowhere does it say to add water in any way. And this “cream” is not possible to massage onto skin without water in my opinion. I tried and failed. So the cleanser worked well but not in the way it is marketed. A bonus is that it lasted for a really long time, but I do not think I will buy it again. I prefer balms and actual creams over foam.

Then we have the recurring cleanser favourite. I purchased the Golden Amber Probiotic Cleansing Balm (125 ml, 399 SEK) by M Picaut when it was released and posted my thoughts on it in The Used Up 2022:1. My feelings have not wavered since then and I repurchase whenever I run out. It is just lovely!

Toner & 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 infrequently.

The Glycolic 7% Toning Solution from The Ordinary (240 ml, 174 SEK) was my replacement for the Pixi Glow Tonic as mentioned in The Used Up 2020:1. I had used the Pixi one for so long that I wanted to try something new and I was curious about the one from the Ordinary. The bottle lasted me three years but I was very infrequent in my use, even more than I hade been with the Pixi Glow Tonic. I think I just found it less pleasant to use, a bit too harsh on my skin upon application. I have since finishing this bottle picked up a replacement from Josh Rosebrook instead.

I tried the The Collagen Tonic by Pixi (100 ml, 179 SEK) for the first time in 2021. A spontaneous purchase that I enjoyed using a lot more than anticipated. When I ran out I swiftly purchased a new bottle. The tonic smells lovely and make my skin feel nicely hydrated. I use it as an essence, applied and patted in with my hands and then I layer serums on top. A nice hydration sandwich! I have another bottle in use currently. The product is available in a 250 ml bottle as well.

The Hydrating Accelerator by Josh Rosebrook (100 ml, 399 SEK) is an old favourite that I managed to track down again at Swedish reseller Caeleste. This time I noticed that the bottle size had changed. It used to be available in 60 ml and 120 ml, but now only a 100 ml was available (at the same price point as the previous 120 ml). I still love to use this and would love to repurchase but it is out of stock currently and has been for a while. I hope it returns.

Essence & serums

My current routine: I like to use a hydrating serum 1-2 times a day and it is a core item. I also dabble with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

For hydrating serums we have two new items for me. First we have the Centella Uncented Serum by Purito (60 ml, 250 SEK at the time of purchase). I wanted to try a more inexpensive serum and chose this one on a whim whilst buying some sunscreen at Maques.se last year. I found that it worked nicely as a hydrator but I did not enjoy the thicker texture (thicker than what I was used to) or the smell (unscented). I did not care for the plastic bottle either, but the pump worked just fine. This specific product has since been reformulated and has new packaging. I have liked the sunscreens I have tried from Purito and I can see myself trying the new version of this serum in the future.

Then we have a more luxurious option from Josh Rosebrook, the Hydrating Boost Concentrate (30 ml, 785 SEK). The serum was on the more watery side of a serum but it was easy to apply nonetheless. A nice hydrator. I found this serum generally pleasant to use but I used it up way to quickly to warrant the price tag. At that price point the product would have to wow me even more than it did. I really like Josh Rosebrook as a brand and think it is a nice treat to try his products from time to time but the only product I return regularly at this point is the Hydrating Accelerator.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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 Hyper Real SkinCanvas Balm from MAC (50 ml, 660 SEK at the time of purchase) was a pleasant surprise. I bought the balm and the accompanying serum, with a discount, close to the launch in 2023. I liked both products a lot but the serum was more suited to my skin type. I used the SkinCanvas Balm mainly as night cream in the warmer months and then as a day cream when winter came along. My skin enjoyed it a lot. It has a very pleasant scent and the jar is very beautiful and luxurious. I might purchase this again in the future as a treat if I get a discount.

I picked up the 24 H Repair Cream by Acasia Skincare (50 ml, 395 SEK) in 2021 and I’ve struggled to use it up ever since. It was difficult to apply and did not want to sink in. When it did my skin felt dry but with a film on it. I think this is a classic case of a product that is not meant for me, but works well for others with different skin types than mine. I’ve read good things about this cream from people with dry skin. So this is a big NO from me. I used it up only by using it on my hands at night and it was not the best experience either.

The Retinol Eye Cream by Pixi (25 ml, 339 SEK) was a nice eye cream that took me a long while to use up. Only a little bit was needed to hydrate the skin around my eyes. However I was hesitant to use it during the day because of the retinol even though the product information does not advise any caution. Retinol can cause sun sensitivity and my skin is a bit prone to that. So I used it mainly at night. I enjoyed the product but I am currently using an eye cream without retinol for convenience. I cannot be bothered to have two.

Masks

My current routine: I do not have one. I use masks very infrequently but usually I like to have a lineup of a hydrating one, an exfoliating one and a deep cleansing one. I like to use an overnight mask when I have one.

The Glow Mud Mask by Pixi (45 ml, 279 SEK) was a nice mask for days when I wanted a “pick me up” and clear impurities. The product seems to only be available in 40 ml at the moment, so something has changed, but the price point is the same. I got 16 uses out of this tube (full-face) and I would consider buying it again in the future.

Base makeup

I received the Hollywood Flawless Filter by Charlotte Tilbury (10 ml, 580 SEK) as a birthday present a few years back and have used it on and off since then. My favourite way to use it is to mix it with a green colour corrector and apply it as a priming base before foundation or concealer. This is the lightest shade (1 Fair) but it is still too dark for me. If CT came out with a lighter and more neutral shade I would consider repurchasing since I love the finish it gives. It gives the skin a little slip as well and I found that other base products applied beautifully over it.

The Hydrating Camo Concealer by Elf (6 ml, 89 SEK) worked ok for me but the shade (Fair Warm) was too dark and peachy. I did not like it under my eyes since it looked cakey and creased so instead I used it to even out my skin tone in other places. It still had the tendency to settle in my pores and fine lines so I doubt I will buy it again even if they would create a shade that would suit me better. Elf is a bit difficult to get a hold of in Sweden so that also turns me off a bit.

Then we have the usuals, two tubes of the HD Studio Photogenic Concealer (3 g, 109 SEK) by NYX in the shade Green (CW12). I have enjoyed using this formula for a long time now and it is an integral part of my makeup routine. I use it as a mixer with most of my base products to neutralise the redness of my face but also to adjust shades so that they are closer to my skin tone. This specific product seems to be out of stock in a lot of places and I wonder if they are discontinuing it. NYX has released the Pro Fix Correcting Concealer in a bunch of shades including a green so maybe that is a replacement but in a different formula. We shall see..

Then we have the Skin Hero Blur Powder from BeautyAct by Kicks (8 g, 229 SEK) that I had heard great things about so I picked it up in Translucent. I was looking for a replacement for my Charlotte Tilbury powder but this was not it. It made my foundation look darker and I needed to use quite a lot to get the desired effect and then it just ended up looking cakey. I disliked the packaging and the scent as well. I used it up but reluctantly. Not a powder for my taste and needs obviously.

Mascara & brows

Yet again we have the recurring favourite Relevée Mascara (6 g, 320 SEK) by Surratt Beauty. I have used it since 2020 but in 2024 have I started to dabble with other brands of tubing mascaras. Relevée is lovely to work with but it smudges on me. Not as much as a regular mascara, no way near, but enough to make me start looking at other options.

Miscellaneous makeup

I am always pleased when I manage to use up a lip product before it goes off. I bought two shades of the Lisa Eldridge Gloss Embrace Lip Gloss (4,5 ml, £18 at the time of purchase) in 2020, Blush and Muse. Both shades are great in theory but they are very subtle on my lips. My lips are not very pigmented in themselves so Muse is a barely there shade and Blush gave a slight depth. I just prefer a bit more oomph on my lips. Not to mention that I am not a gloss person, I prefer balms. I do like this nourishing formula and used the glosses primarily on my lips as a treatment. The pigmented formula and the large applicator also made them a bit messy to apply to my thinner lips. I always have to dab a tiny bit in the centre of my lips and then spread it out in a thin layer with a finger. I love Lisa Eldridge products in general but this one is not perfect for me, I have to fuss a bit too much for my liking. That said I have bought more shades after using up these two. Lisa always creates intriguing shades and her latest drop of the Gloss Embrace shade extension had me wanting more despite the above mentioned issues with the product. I think objectively is is a great product with lovely packaging, a large and stunning shade range, different pigment levels and a reasonable price point. It might just not be a favourite of mine.

The Eyeshadow Primer by Milani (8 ml, 179 SEK) was another surprise miss. I had heard so many people rave about it online but it was just ok. I have very oily eyelids and at this point I have almost given up on finding eye primers that I like. The longevity was not great with the Milani one. I also prefer the Urban Decay Anti-Aging one since it is so easy to blend eyeshadows on top of.

2023 empties wrap-up

I few years back I started looking at the total items in each category and divided them into more accurate sub-categories to track how I consume a specific type of product and comparing the numbers to previous years. This year I will present it slightly differently. Instead of specifying numbers for previous years in this post I will do that tracking privately, since it is mainly for my own benefit. Old stats are available in previous posts for anyone curious. Any interesting patterns I find will be mentioned in this post, of course.

A note on this type of summary: All of these specific items were not purchased in one year and some were gifts from friends/family and many were bought with a discount. Obviously I have loads of items, mainly makeup, that I will never use up and that will never end up in a post like this. I’m not doing these round-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.

To summarise 2023 I managed to use up: 5 cleansers, 2 toners, 2 face mists, 6 essences/serums, 1 eye cream, 3 face creams, 4 masks, 1 spot treatment, 2 concealers, 4 colour correctors, 1 face primer, 1 powder, 1 mascara, 1 eye primer and 2 lip glosses. That is a total of 36 skincare and makeup products worth around 12 000 SEK if purchased at full price.

The trend this year was my tendency to use up fewer product overall but the average cost per item is higher. So my choice of more expensive items is shining through, the same theme as in 2022. I’m still good at using up the skincare items that I buy before they go bad and rarely throw skincare bits out due to old age. A trend I hope to keep up in the coming years. My prediction of last year of many empty masks was fulfilled, a task years in the making. Nothing else really stands out except the fact that I obviously need to change my mascara a bit more often.

Thanks for reading!

Another year has passed and it is time to do the second and last instalment of the Used Up. In this post I will go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the second half of 2022, July through December. In those six months I managed to finish a total of 12 items and out of those only 4 were makeup products. As per usual I’m not including all beauty consumables in this bi-annual post. Categories not included are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I still prefer not to track those categories in any way.

I want to highlight some things about my skin that can be useful to know before reading my opinions on these products. I have dehydrated combination skin and I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 41) 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. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies.

Let’s dive in!

Cleansers

My current routine: I use a cream cleanser or something similar in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use two cleansers in the evening. One oil/balm as a first step in removing makeup and/or sunscreen and then I go in with a second round with the same cleanser that I used in the morning. I usually have 2-3 cleansers in action at any given moment.

Let’s start with a recurring favourite. I purchased the Golden Amber Probiotic Cleansing Balm (125 ml, 399 SEK) by M Picaut shortly after it was released and this was my second tube. I love everything about this product I will for sure keep on repurchasing it.

This tube of the Glow Mud Cleanser by Pixi (135 ml, 279 SEK) is the first time I tried it but I do have another one in use now. I enjoy using this specific cleanser in the shower. I massage it in on damp skin and wait 30 seconds, as instructed, and then use a cloth to wipe it away. I find it effective yet never drying. I am really bad at exfoliating my skin as frequent as I could/should (i.e would benefit from) and this cleanser somewhat picks up some slack in that department. The tube lasts me a good while and I see this as a staple product at this point.

Then we have one bottle of Bioderma Sensibio Make-up removing micelle solution (250 ml, around 100 SEK). This was a staple product for a while, last mentioned in The Used Up 2020:2, and it took me two years to use the last bottle up. I practically stopped using it on my face on a regular basis and only used it to remove the odd pigmented lipstick or arm swatches of the more stubborn kind. I might repurchase someday for that purpose but I am not sure at this point.

Toner & mists

My current routine: I always have a hydrating spray that I use after cleansing but before serums. Sometimes I use a toner as a complement, either a hydrating one or an exfoliator. In the evenings I also like to use a more nourishing spray (with oils) as a last comforting step.

The Hydrating Water (100 ml, 349 SEK) by M Picaut was what I chose to pick up when I realised I could not get my favourite hydrating mist by Josh Rosebrook anymore. The Swedish reseller at the time never did restock it. I do like this M Picaut product, it does its job well, but not as much as the Hydrating Accelerator by Josh Rosebrook. The glass bottle does make me a bit nervous as well. It is quite heavy and I’m always a bit wary about dropping it in the bathroom and ruining the sink or the tiled floor. The bottle can be repurposed as a vase though and will save this bottle for that purpose. I have bought another bottle of the Hydrating Water and it is currently in use but when I run out I will pick up the Hydrating Accelerator again since I just found it at a new (to me anyway) Swedish webshop – Caeleste.

The Collagen Tonic by Pixi (100 ml, 179 SEK) was a spontaneous purchase in 2021. But I did enjoy using it a lot more than anticipated and swiftly purchased a new bottle when I ran out. The tonic smells lovely and make my skin feel nicely hydrated. I use it as an essence, applied and patted in with my hands and then I layer serums on top. A hydration sandwich! I have another bottle in use currently. I have continued buying the smaller bottles but the product is available in a 250 ml bottle as well.

Essence & serums

My current routine: I like to use a hydrating serum 1-2 times a day and it is a core item. I also dabble with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

This is no surprise. Another bottle of the Hyaluronic Super Serum (30 ml, 359-495 SEK) by Acasia. This is my third empty bottle this year, see my initial post The Used Up 2022:1, and I nearly finished a fourth one before 2022 was over. I still use it morning and night and I have nothing bad to say about it. I will buy a new one soon.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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.

Let’s start with a rather new favourite. I initially purchased the Rose Quartz Supreme Rich Cream by M Picaut (50 ml, 749 SEK) to use as a night cream but I also use it in the daytime during the autumn/winter months. You can read a bit more about my thoughts after finishing my first bottle here. I have another one in use right now and I will repurchase when I run out. I really really like it.

The Lait-Crème Concentré (75 ml, 269 SEK) by Embryolisse is a newer acquaintance as well. I say newer since this is my first tube but I did buy it as far back as December 2020. It lasted me two years and during those years I used it in two different ways. Initially I picked it up to be used as a moisturiser during the colder months. So that first winter I did use it for that purpose. Then I started wearing the Rose Quartz cream by M Picaut during the day the following winter and have continued on with that ever since. So I tried using the Embryolisse cream more like a hydrating primer and my skin loved it. I apply it over whatever skincare I am wearing as an extra priming step before makeup. It does contain perfume and it has a distinct scent, but oh how I adore that scent. For anyone interested the product can be found in a perfume-free version as well but in a 100 ml tube.

Base makeup

I wrote at length about these in my last The Used Up post, including swatches. It’s the HD Studio Photogenic Concealer (3 g, 109 SEK) by NYX in the shades Alabaster (CW 00) and Green (CW12). I like working with this formula and use them every time I do my makeup. Alabaster under the eye and Green as a targeted colour corrector or as a mixer for other base products to make them a shade closer to my skin tone. I have repurchased both shades and consider them as staples. But I must say I am a bit keen on trying similar products from other brands during 2023, just for fun. It is always fun to try new things and compare them to old favourites.

Mascara & brows

No one is surprised to see the Relevée Mascara (6 g, 320 SEK) by Surratt Beauty in this post. I switched to this in mid 2020 and have used it ever since. As mentioned in previous posts I do not think it’s the perfect tubing mascara since it does smudge a bit on me. A bit more than I enjoy. But I’m still not overly keen on searching for a new one just yet. I have another tube of Relevée in use at the moment and after that, who knows?

Moving on to another product by Surratt, the Expressioniste Brow Pomade (5 g, 350 SEK) in Clear. I love this brow product. It does exactly what I want it to do, keep my brows in place without leaving them feeling stiff and looking crusty. The pomade is undetectable once it is dry and this is the only brow product that has managed to put my brows in their place so to speak. The packaging was previously the same colour and design, albeit a slight difference in size, as the Relevée mascara. But when I repurchased the brow pomade last time I noticed that Surratt had made the wise decision to differentiate them. The brow pomade is now in an oil spill coloured tube and it is so much easier to tell them apart.

2022 empties wrap-up

As I now wrap up the year of 2022 in numbers I also want to take the opportunity to look even further back and compare those numbers with the previous three years. I did the same thing at the end of 2021. Below you can see the numbers from 2021, 2020 and 2019 in brackets where applicable.

To summarise this year I managed to use up:

• 5 cleansers (9, 11, 8)
• 1 toner (1, 1, 0)
• 1 face mist (3, 3, 5)
• 3 essences/serums (8, 8, 11)
• 0 eye creams (1, 2, 1)
• 4 face creams (2, 5, 4)
• 1 oil (1, 1, 0)
• 0 masks (2, 1, 2)
• 0 spot treatments (1, 0, 0)
• 4 concealers (1, 4, 1)
• 2 colour correctors (1, 0, 0)
• 1 foundation (2, 2, 3)
• 2 powders (1, 2, 3)
• 2 mascaras (3, 4, 2)
• 2 brow tamers (1, 4, 1)
• 2 eye primers (1, 1, 1)
• 1 lipstick (2, 1, 0)
• 1 eye liner (0)

That is a total of 32 skincare and makeup products compared to 40 in 2021, 55 in 2020 and 49 in 2019. The value of these products (if they were to be purchased at full price) is around 10 000 SEK (the same as 2021 and compared to 13 500 SEK in 2020 and 2019). So 2022 consisted of fewer yet more expensive items on a whole. All of these specific items were not purchased in one year and some were gifts from friends/family and many were bought with a discount. Obviously I have loads of items, mainly makeup, that I will never use up and that will never end up in a post like this. I’m not doing these round-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. The average cost per item is 250 SEK and spread out over 12 months it lands at approximately 835 SEK per month compared to 1100 SEK per month in 2020.

I’m glad that I’ve found so many core favourites over the years. Products from varying price points that do their job so well that I buy them again and again. It is also very satisfying to know that I use up most of the skincare items that I buy before they go bad. The only area where I could improve my usage is masks. I own some lovely masks but I am not in the habit of using them very often. In 2023 we will see an accumulated heap of empty masks I think, several years in the making.

Thanks for reading!

In this post I will go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the first half of 2022, January through June. This post have been in the making for several months but somehow time always slips away from me. But better late than never as they say. In those six months I managed to finish a total of 20 items and out of those 13 were makeup products. I’m not including all beauty consumables in this bi-annual post. Categories not included are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I still prefer not to track those categories in any way.

As per usual I want to highlight some things about my skin that can be useful to know before reading my opinions on these products. I have dehydrated combination skin and I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 41) 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. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies. Let’s begin!

Cleansers

My current routine: I use a cream cleanser or something similar in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use two cleansers in the evening. One oil/balm as a first step in removing makeup and/or sunscreen and then I go in with a second round with the same cleanser that I used in the morning. I usually have 2-3 cleansers in action at any given moment.

Let’s start with a new favourite. I purchased the Golden Amber Probiotic Cleansing Balm (125 ml, 399 SEK) by M Picaut shortly after it was released. Since I am always on the lookout for a good cleansing balm and I generally like products by M Picaut it was an easy purchase. Hello new favourite cleanser! I love the smooth honey texture, the soft smell and the beautiful tube that makes it easy to squeeze out the right amount. There is nothing I do not love about this balm. I’m even ok with the price since I think it is a very luxurious product that lasted me a good while. I have already repurchased this one.

Moving on to the Clean Cleanser by Acasia (100 ml, 199 SEK), another brand that I have repurchased from recently. This was my third tube of this specific product and possibly my last. It is a good cleanser but my critique is as mentioned in my last post “This milky cream cleanser has a mild scent and does the job very well but the consistency was a little too runny for my taste and I felt like I needed quite a bit of product to cleanse my face. So one tube did not last as long as I would like it to. I do not think I will repurchase this any time soon but I might try it again in the future since it does have a preferable price point.”

Essence & serums

My current routine: I like to use a hydrating serum 1-2 times a day and it is a core item. I also dabble with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

Let me present to you another new favourite – two whole empty bottles of the Hyaluronic Super Serum (30 ml, 359-495 SEK) by Acasia. The serum contains hyaluronic acid (duh!), niacinamide, Vitamin C and E. Three drops is enough for the whole face and it is a dream to apply. One bottle lasted me longer than I had anticipated and these two bottles lasted longer than six months. I use the serum both morning and night and my skin loves it. One thing to note about this product is that the price varies quite a bit depending on which reseller you pick it up from. Something I will definitely focus on since this is a product I have and will continue to repurchase.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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.

Another recurring product is the Natural Moisturizing  Factors + HA by The Ordinary (30 ml, 79 SEK). I use this as a basic surface hydrator and usually layer it under my sunscreen. I have repurchased this and will most likely continue to do so. It is reliable, nicely priced and works well under other products without pilling.

Here we have yet another new favourite. I purchased the Rose Quartz Supreme Rich Cream by M Picaut (50 ml, 749 SEK) to use as a night cream but I have also worn it in the daytime during the autumn/winter months. It is a creamy dream with a comforting scent that reminds me of vanilla pods. The pump distributes product with great control and it “pops” in the end when all of the product is distributed. The bottle is easy to close, you simply twist the top to secure it and it has a little lid on top of that. A little goes a long way and I felt like this 50 ml bottle lasted me long enough to warrant repurchasing it at this more hefty price point. My skin feels soft and nourished but never greasy after applying this cream. I have no issues with applying makeup on top in the winter-time, but I have not yet tried using it that way during the warmer months.

The Overnight Retinol Oil by Pixi (30 ml, 399 SEK) is a repurchase. I gave it a favourable opinion when I used up my first bottle in 2020 (read The Used Up 2020:2 here). However I did not enjoy using the oil as much the second time around. It was merely ok and I often omitted using it in the evenings. I was simply not drawn to it and it was forgettable. Since the product has a shelf-life of 6 months it started to smell rancid before I had finished the bottle. I persevered and used it up but it was not the best experience. I will most likely not buy this product again.

Base makeup

The Blur 16 H Longwear Foundation (30 ml, 209 SEK), here in the shade 00 Ultra Light, used to be a favourite until Lumene changed the formulation and no shades matched me anymore. They did this more than once. From a trusty staple product to an inconsistent mess and ultimately failed purchase. Not a good arc. As previously stated I would use the tubes I had already purchased and then stop trying. You can see in the swatch picture that the lightest shade is not a good match for me.

Next we have one concealer in two different shades that have quickly become new staples for me. It’s the HD Studio Photogenic Concealer (3 g, 109 SEK) by NYX in the shades Alabaster (CW 00) and Green (CW12). The formula is easy to work with, pigmented yet light and blendable, and the price point is great. I use Alabaster as my under eye corrector. The shade might be a smidge too dark but I get away with it most days. If I need a little brightness I just tap another concealer on top where needed. The shade works very well to neutralise the colour under my eyes and make me look more awake. The Green version is used as a neutraliser for the redness on my face but also to bring any other base product in a direction that better matches my undertone. My perfect shade is a fair neutral with a hint of green in it. Most base products are too pink och peach for me so the NYX concealer is a great mix-in. I repurchased both of these as soon as I ran out.

Moving on to the Milk Makeup Flex Concealer (5,9 ml, 349 SEK) in Porcelain. First of all, I did buy a shade that is way too light for me. So it does not work on its own as a concealer, the job I intended it for when I bought it. But I have been using it in combination with other base products that are also not quite right on their own. I used it primarily to lighten foundations that were too dark. But I did notice that the concealer was not as easy to work with as I had anticipated by the name Flex. It was thick and not as blendable as I would like. So after trying this one I do not feel the need to try another shade of the same product.

The Pat Away Concealing Base by Pixi (3,8 g, 249 SEK) had a good shade match for me from the start. I picked up the shade Cream and the undertone works very well. It could be a little lighter but it is one of the best shades I have found in a long time. I used this concealer all over the face where needed and it was pigmented and blendable. However it felt like I used it up very quickly and always in conjunction with other products I was trying to use up so I did not focus too much on what it was capable of. I am considering buying it again in the near future to give it a proper run.

The MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation (15 g, 395 SEK) is an old hero product for me. I’ve used this product for nearly half of my life. I used to buy NC20 for years and later picked up this specific one in NC10 when that lighter shade became available. I would for sure be interested to pick up another one of these but I think I would like to try them in store before choosing what shade to get. On the MAC Scandinavia website they list an NC15 as well, but I want to see them next to each other before deciding. Last time I was in store these products were out of stock, otherwise I would have bought a new one already. The Studio Fix powder for me is the best product to add on more coverage during the day. I have combination skin that gets shiny easily and melts my makeup. Since I have a lot of redness I want a product that adds suitable coverage as well when touching up my makeup. Only blotting away the oils does not do it for me. I can apply Studio Fix straight on top of my makeup and it saves the look. If I am very oily I blot first, but it is not always necessary with this powder.

This is my second compact of the Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (10 g, 55€) by Charlotte Tilbury in 1 Fair. I got this one for my birthday last year and my first purchase was in London in 2017. I must say this is so far my favourite powder and any attempt to find another one I like as much has failed. The product has since been updated to a refillable version and I got one of those compacts for my birthday this December. I also wished for, and received, the new Airbrush Brightening Flawless Finish Powder by CT. It will be fun to use them side by side and see how they compare. Both are refillable which is great.

Mascara & brows

Milk Makeup Kush Fiber Brow Gel (4,5 g, 259 SEK) had a great colour for me in Grind – a lovely cool dark brown. That, and the size of the brush, was my favourite aspect about this product. The formula was very wet and got everywhere where I did not want it. I could not notice any build up by the fibers and the overall appearance was messy. Another thing is that it started to smell “off” quite quickly. The white packaging did not do it for me either, but that is a smaller complaint. On the whole, this was not a good product for me.

Relevée Mascara (6 g, 320 SEK) by Surratt is a staple at this point (you can find my previous thoughts on this product in The Used Up 2021:1 and 2021:2) and I still enjoy the formula and I very much like the brand as a whole. BUT. As I have mentioned before the mascara does tend to create some fall-out smudge, especially from my bottom lashes. It did not bother me too much in the beginning of our relationship but it’s starting to get on my nerves a bit. I do not want to check my face regularly to see if my under-eyes are smudgy. Of course I wish it did not have any fall-out of any sort but until I hear about another great tubing mascara that I would like to try I am stickning with this one.

Miscellaneous makeup

The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Caffeine is my secret weapon when I want to do a quick yet impactful eye look. This mustard brown primer works as a cream eyeshadow and primer in one on my skin tone. I apply it all over the lid and a bit up in the crease and then blend and shape with a stiff synthetic brush. It is very easy to blend and when I’m happy with the shape I just pat a shiny metallic shadow on the lid, all over or just in the center depending on what I’m going for, with a flat brush or my finger and it is more or less done. I already have a new tube of this in rotation.

The 24 H Photo Finish Shadow Primer (12 ml, 215 SEK) by Smashbox was a fail for me. It was quite thick in formula and it dried very quickly. I like to start working with shadows when the primer is still somewhat tacky in order for it to intensify the shadows and the longevity on my lids. I found it hard to blend shadows on top of this primer and it did not boost the look of the shadows as I’m used to. It might be down to pure preference but I will not buy this shadow primer again.

How I wish this product was not limited edition. The Rouge Coco Shine in Noir Moderne by Chanel has been a firm favourite for many years now. I do not remember when I bought it but the internet suggests it was released around 2016 and it sounds about right. The Rouge Coco Shine formula is not even around anymore. It was replaced, I presume, by Rouge Coco Flash. This dark yet transparent lipstick was a good moody yet wearable lip for me. I’m trying to find a dupe for Noir Moderne but no such luck yet.

To finalise this post we have got another Chanel product. It is the Stylo Yeux Waterproof (310 SEK) in Agapé (929). This shade was also limited edition and part of the Le Rouge Collection No.1 for fall in 2016. It was creamy and easy to work with. Lasted well as an eyeliner but not in the waterline. I do not own that many liners nowadays so it was fun to use this one up. I’m not immediately drawn to picking up new shades of this liner (I had two from the same collection) but you never know.

That was all of the products from the first half of 2022. Since I was a bit late with this post I think the next instalment of The Used Up might come in the near future, since 2023 is nearly here. These post takes some time to write, but they are always way easier to conjure up when not too much time has passed since I used the mentioned products. I wish you all a great New Year and I hope you wear some fabulous makeup!

Thank you for reading!

Time flies and the years come and go. I started writing this post in January and now, several months later it is finally completed. Not much has changed except for the weather. I’m still working from home, with limited movements outside my home, and every month takes on a similar hue in my memory. For that reason I highly enjoy any type of post where I get to reminisce about the past a bit, to linger on what I did or felt.

In this post I will do just that by going through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the second half of 2021, July to December. We will also take a look at the full year and end with some statistics. In this second part of last year, a total of 18 items were finished and out of those seven were makeup products. Categories not included in this post are body care, nail care, haircare or any type of SPF (unless it is a skincare/makeup item that just happens to have SPF in it). I just do not care to track those categories in any way at the moment.

Some things about my skin that can be useful to know before reading my opinions on these products – I have dehydrated combination skin. I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 40) 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. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies.

Cleansers

My current routine: I use a cream cleanser or something similar in the morning before skincare/makeup and then I use two cleansers in the evening. One oil/balm as a first step in removing makeup and/or sunscreen and then I go in with a second round with the same cleanser that I used in the morning. I usually have 2-3 cleansers in action at any given moment.

During this six-month period I have used up four cleansers and all of them were new to me. I wanted to try a new oil cleanser as my first cleanse in the evening and chose Organic Flowers Cleansing Oil by Whamisa (150 ml, 359 SEK). I had no previous experience with the brand and just chose it at random. It worked just fine but the scent was not my favourite. The oil was on the thinner side and it did sting my eyes slightly. I will not repurchase.

Moving on to cream cleansers (second cleanser at night or only cleanser in the morning) and we have three bottles/tubes. First I used up the Nourishing Cleanser by M Picaut (100 ml, 329 SEK). I enjoyed the formulation of this pale yellow cleanser and it worked well in cleansing my skin. But a few pointers will keep me from buying again soon. It did not last very long and I’m weary of the glass bottle. Let me explain. The bottle is very heavy and I was always a bit scared that I would drop it and damage my sink, the glass shelves in my cabinet or my tiled floor. I also like to cleanse my face in the shower and this is not a bottle I would take with me in there for the fear of dropping it. Another fact worth noting is that one pump distributes very little product. That is not a definitive negative because I would rather pump more than once and get a good amount for a cleanse rather than to have a single pump distribute too much product in one go. But I needed 8-10 pumps to get enough cleanser to distribute and cleanse my face each time. It felt a bit odd to use that many pumps and then go through the bottle quite quickly. I prefer the opposite.

Moving on to the Clean Cleanser by Acasia (100 ml, 199 SEK), another brand that I have recently tried for the first time. I did repurchase this cleanser once as you can see by the double empty tube action. This milky cream cleanser has a mild scent and does the job very well but the consistency was a little too runny for my taste and I felt like I needed quite a bit of product to cleanse my face. So one tube did not last as long as I would like it to. I do not think I will repurchase this any time soon but I might try it again in the future since it does have a preferable price point.

Toner & mists

My current routine: I always have a hydrating spray that I use after cleansing but before serums. Sometimes I use a toner as a complement, either a hydrating one or an exfoliator. In the evenings I also like to use a more nourishing spray (with oils) as a last comforting step.

This was my second bottle of the the Hydrating Accelerator by Josh Rosebrook (120 ml, 399 SEK) but the first time I’ve bought it in the larger bottle. The 120 ml bottle was much better value than the 60 ml (289 SEK) and I would love to buy it again but it has been out of stock at the Swedish reseller for ages. At the moment I’m writing this they do not have any Josh Rosebrook products in stock at all. The mister is lovely and I enjoy the scent and the hydrated feeling it leaves on my face after using it. If it does come back in stock I will repurchase for sure.

The Collagen Tonic by Pixi (100 ml, 179 SEK) was a spontaneous purchase. I wanted to try something other than serums and I used this tonic as an essence, applied and patted in with my hands. It smells lovely and left my skin feeling hydrated and nice. A little skin treat. When I first bought it I had no feelings for it and regarded it almost like a completely unnecessary step. But after frequent use and finishing the bottle I started to miss it. So I have since repurchased and still enjoy applying it every other day before serums.

Essence & serums

My current routine: I like to use a hydrating serum 1-2 times a day and that is my core item. I also tinker with more treatment focused serums but I’m more irregular with those.

A previously recurring product is the Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence by Lumene (30 ml, 299 SEK). This was my go-to serum for many years and this was my final bottle. I have not repurchased since and I’m currently loving the Hyaluronic Super Serum serum by Acasia that is very hydrating and also contains some vitamin C.

“Buffet” Multi-Technology Peptide Serum by The Ordinary (30 ml, 200 SEK) is not a new product for me. I’ve used and liked it in the past. Right now I have another serum that I like (the above mentioned from Acasia) but I can see myself picking up Buffet again in the future.

Moisturisers & oils

My current routine: I use a variety of creams depending on what my skin needs. In the morning after serums I like to put on a basic moisturiser before adding SPF and/or a primer. I have lighter and heavier creams (I’m using the term heavy lightly here – I have combination skin after all) and adjust the combination according to seasonal variations like the climate outdoors/indoors. For daytime the goal is to have a face base that does not pill or look patchy when I apply makeup on top. In the evening I like to use a more robust and comforting cream since I do not need to worry about the makeup bit. I use an eye cream both morning and evening and the main goal is to hydrate the skin without stinging my eyes or melting my mascara. 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.

Another recurring product is the Natural Moisturizing  Factors + HA by The Ordinary (30 ml, 79 SEK). I use this as a basic surface hydrator and usually layer it under my sunscreen. I have repurchased this and will most likely continue to do so. It is reliable, nicely priced and works well under other products without pilling.

The Age Repair Eye Cream by Grown Alchemist (15 ml, 620 SEK) is another recurring product and I would have repurchased this if I had not been impossible to get a hold of. My usual retailer stopped carrying the brand and I cannot find this specific product anywhere else. And at that point they lost me. I cannot be bothered to spend a lot of time searching to find a product, it is not that special. If it was readily available I would have bought another one but instead I tried something new from another brand.

Base makeup

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Hydrating Foundation Stick in “Birch 1,5” (10 g, 455 SEK) had a lovely creamy formula that I preferred to blend out with a medium stiff brush – my preferred one is the Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques. The coverage was very nice and I liked the finish. It did not feel too slippery after application nor did it set or dry down on my skin. It felt somewhat tacky to touch and I needed to set it with powder. BUT the shade was sadly leaning too pink on me and there is no other great shade match in the range. The only way I managed to wear and use up this product was to apply a green colour corrector underneath. The green sort of balanced out the worst of the pink in the foundation and it looked acceptable (but not great). I would be interested to buy this foundation again if Bare Minerals did a shade extension that included something closer to my undertone.

I am not sure I used the Sephora Green Colour Corrector (3,4 ml, 169 SEK) in the best way. I applied it over my bare skin like a primer. And it did not work very well on me. The formula was a bit hard to spread evenly and I never managed to tone down the red without looking too green. The tube was used up a bit too quickly in this manner. However I do not think it is the fault of the product but rather user error. My current colour corrector, from Nyx, works best when I blend it into my liquid foundation. I mix them before applying to get a slightly more green-leaning shade. One reason for this discovery was that I realised that my undertone has some green in it. All thanks to Fatima @anotherbeautyjunky over at Instagram. I was complaining that I had a hard time finding base shades that work for me and she mentioned that she noticed that I had a little green in my undertone. BAM!!! I had never thought about that before. I’ve just assumed that the lightness of my skin, my more neutral undertone and the redness in my face made it hard to shade match me. But know that I think about the green it all makes sense. It is a very slight green tinge but now that I think about it I cannot understand how I had never identified it before. So blending in a green corrector in my foundation fills both the role of correcting the redness in my face but also adjusting the shade of the base product to better match my neck. Genius!

Macara & brows

Relevée Mascara (6 g, 320 SEK) by Surratt is a repurchase. I still enjoy the formula, brush and the sleek packaging and have already repurchased yet again. The mascara is a bit more wet in the beginning when first opened, as with most mascaras, but after a few uses it dries down a bit and becomes even easier to work with. I do like how it make my lashes look, albeit very basic, and Relevée is buildable if I wait a little bit before applying more. Since I cannot wear anything other than tubing mascaras I am used to the lack of “wow” lashes. The mascara does tend to create a little fall-out smudge, especially from my bottom lashes, but nothing that bothers me too much. If I know I will be wearing a very emollient face product, like sunscreen, I just skip putting mascara on my lower lashes to avoid the “smudge”.

This was my first time trying Control Freak Eyebrow Gel in Clear (9 g, 99 SEK) by Nyx and I can sadly report that I will not be buying it again. The large brush made a mess since the product ended up beside my browns as well when I applied it. I found it to have a very watery formula that did little to control my brows.

Miscellaneous makeup

Then we have three other makeup products, one eye shadow primer and two lipsticks. The primer is the Eyeshadow Primer Potion in the Anti-aging version by Urban Decay (10 ml, 280 SEK). I have used this a lot over the years and it is my go-to eye primer at this point. I’m still trying other brands from time to time but this is the one a keep going back to. I like that I can easily blend eyeshadow on top of this before before it has completely dried down but it never comes out patchy. It it very user friendly and a tube last me a long time. I also enjoy that is comes with an applicator which makes it very easy to apply the desired amount to the lid or wherever you would like the primer to go.

The Fantastick lipstick in Pink Opal (2 g, 199 SEK) by LH Cosmetics was used both as a lip and cheek shade, mainly in the summer. I’m not much for cream cheek but when it is warmer outside I sometimes prefer it. The shade is a bit too light for my taste but the formula worked well and felt nice on the lips. I will not be repurchasing this one but is was nice to use while it lasted.

Dolce Vita lipstick (3,4 g, price unknown) from Nars is in the old formulation that has been long discontinued. This was my second bullet of this colour that I have used up. I would love to find a colour dupe for this shade from another brand though. Its is a perfect MLBB shade with just enough pink and enough brown to look very neutral yet add a little something something. If you look at the below swatches Pink Opal look darker than Dolce Vita, but the formula of the Nars lipstick was more sheer and intensified my natural lip colour rather than covering it. Pink Opal did more of the latter and I think that was shy I did not enjoy the shade as much.

2021 empties wrap-up

As I now wrap up the year of 2021 in numbers I also want to take the opportunity to look even further back and compare those numbers with the previous two years. Below you can see the numbers from 2020 and 2019 in brackets where applicable.

To summarise this year I managed to use up:

• 9 cleansers where one was a mini (11, 8)
• 1 toner (1, 0)
• 3 face mists (3, 5)
• 8 essences/serums (8, 11)
• 1 eye cream (2, 1)
• 2 face creams (5, 4)
• 1 oil (1, 0)
• 2 masks (1, 2)
• 1 eye primer (1, 1)
• 1 powder (2, 3)
• 1 concealer (4, 1)
• 2 foundations (2, 3)
• 3 mascaras (4, 2)
• 1 brow gel (4, 1)
• 2 lipsticks (1, 0)
• 1 colour corrector
• 1 spot treatment.

That is a total of 40 skincare and makeup products compared to 55 in 2020 and 49 in 2019. The value of these products (if they were to be purchased at full price) is around 10 000 SEK (compared to 13 500 SEK the two previous years). All of these specific items were not purchased in one year and some were gifts from friends/family and many were bought with a discount. I’m not doing these round-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. The average cost per item is now at around 250 SEK and spread out over 12 months it lands at approximately 835 SEK per month compared to 1100 SEK per month in 2020.

I will continue to do these bi-annual instalments of the Used Up. It is a nice way for me to gather my thoughts on products I try but also a fantastic way to chronicle what I use and spend my money on.

Thanks for reading!

Time to go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the first half of 2021, January-June. A total of 22 items, whereas five of them are makeup items. I do not include body care, haircare or any SPF in this roundup post, since I do not care to have a follow up for those categories.

Some notes about my skin – I have dehydrated combination skin. I am noticing my skin changing a lot because of ageing (I’m 39) 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. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies.

Cleansers

I managed to use up a total of five cleansing products during this period and one is a mini. The Rose Cream Cleanser by Pixi (135 ml, 279 SEK) has been a steady part of mosts instalments of The Used Up and I used it as my only cleanser in the morning and as my second cleanser in the evening. I still think it is a lovely product – I love the texture, the scent and the effect. But I have noticed previously, as mentioned in earlier posts, that one tube does not last me as long as I want it to and I wish to find a replacement that lasts longer for the price.

The Olive Cleansing cleanser by Maria Åkerberg is such a replacement purchase. I used up a mini, that I bought as part of a spa kit, and enjoyed the texture and the smell enough to buy the large bottle (250 ml, 229 SEK). However after a while I noticed that the smell started to bother me so I think I might refrain from buying it again. For now at least.

The Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser by Elemis (200 ml, 365 SEK) was also purchased as an effort to replace the one from Pixi. The pump dispenser worked well and on a normal day I would use 2-3 pumps for my entire face. The rose smell was a bit too much for my taste but it is i no way off-putting. It is an ok product but I do not feel enticed enough to repurchase.

Nourishing Omega-Rich Cleansing Oil by Elemis (195 ml, 465 SEK) is a product that I used up back in 2019 and decided to try again. It is lovely and smooth oil that effectively removes makeup. I could use it on my eyes without any big problems. The big plus with this product is that it lasts for a long time, more than six months, which would warrant the price. I’ve not experimented with many cleansing oils previously, since I used to prefer balms, but I will try and see if I can find another oil that is a little less expensive or one from a brand that I have more feelings for, you know.

Toner & mists

One type of mist that I use quite seldom is a more hydrating and nourishing mist, like the Glow Mist (80 ml, 249 SEK) by Pixi. It contains oils and this I would use during the day when I want some hydration on top of makeup or in the evening as a last skincare step. I do not use this as a “glow getter” since I have combination skin and my natural glow, or shine if you will, will come naturally anyway. I use it more like a comforting and calming hug for the face when it feels in need. I have repurchased this specific product but in the Rose version.

I continue to mist my face after cleansing before I apply serums etc, both in the morning and evening. I have enjoyed the Nordic Hydra Facial Mist (50 ml, 99 SEK) from Lumene just fine. It is hydrating, has a nice scent and the mister works well. This and the Vitamin-C version have been in my previous iterations of The Used Up numerous times. However I am a bit out of love with Lumene as a brand and will phase out all of my recurring favourites from them. When I finished this last bottle I switched back to the Hydrating Accelerator from Josh Rosebrook again. I found it in the larger bottle (120 ml) and I currently enjoy using it a lot more than I did the first time around.

Essence & serums

A recurring product is the Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence by Lumene (30 ml, 289 SEK). I go through these quite quickly and have another bottle in use right now. But after that I will break the habit and find other hydrators.

The theme continues – two tubes of the Rose Caviar Essence by Pixi (45 ml, 399 SEK) emptied in six months yet again. I have continued to use this product twice daily to layer hydration but I’m not really comfortable with the fact that I go through four tubes in a year. That is a bit much since I combine it with the Lumene essence and those seem to go in a similar rate. That is a lot of money for my hydrating sandwich. I will probably buy the Caviar Essence again in the future but for now I’m going to try some other serums and see if I can get my hydration boost for a little less money.

Niacimide 10% + Zinc 1% by the Ordinary (30 ml, 69 SEK) is what I use whenever my skin is prone to breakouts and I usually apply it over the affected area or the t-zone. I have another bottle in use right now. It feels like it calms everything down a bit.

Moisturisers & oils

This is my second jar of Hydration Recharge Overnight Cream (50 ml, 209 SEK) by Lumene from their Nordic Hydra series. I used it as a night cream on top of serums and/or oils. I’m not repurchasing because – Lumene.

I purchased the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil (30 ml, 134 SEK) by The Ordinary primarily to use when doing face massage on myself (I have a tendency to tense my jaw and a massage really helps). Then I also started to use it in the evenings whenever I felt like my skin needed a “blanket”. I rarely use oils but this one works very well with my combination skin. It smells a bit interesting, like hay or something, but I’ve grown so accustomed to the smell that now I find it comforting. It did start to go off when I was a the end of the bottle so the shelf-life of 12 months after opening is about right. I have repurchased this product and I find it to be very useful.

Masks

The Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque (125 ml, 330 SEK) was a spontaneous purchase when I still lived in Gothenburg and had a Kiehl’s counter readily available. On paper it looked like a great product for me since I really enjoy moisturising overnight masks and it was a huge jar for a reasonable price. I’ve had previous positive encounters with the Ultra Facial series as well. But this product is really not for me. It’s a clear jelly-like product that smells very little but still has a slight chemical scent that is hard to describe. It does not sink into the skin at all but rather leaves a thick sticky surface that gets everywhere including my pillow. I hate sleeping in it and that totally defeats the purpose. I’ve been doing masks really infrequently since I dislike this one so much and that is a shame. I’m so glad it is finally empty so that I could purchase a replacement for that category. I have done that and it’s by M Picaut.

I used the Blue Herbal Spot Treatment (15 ml, 200 SEK) by Kiehl’s on any blemishes to stop them in their track. It worked just fine but when dried down it did leave a film on the skin. Even if that was just a small area it did have a tendency to pill whenever I touched the skin. This tiny tube lasted me a very long time since a little goes a long way and that is a pro for sure but I do not feel inclined to buy it again. I would prefer something that does not form such a prominent film. I’ve purchased a replacement from Pixi.

I really hated the Lumene Deeply Purifying Birch Charcoal Mask (75 ml, 129 SEK) from day one. The consistency felt like applying liquid plastic on my face and the mask did nothing for my skin. The scent did nothing for me either, it was a pain to remove and every time I used it felt like a chore. But I did it, I finished the damned thing! And I will never ever consider buying this product again. I am yet to find/buy a replacement for its position.

Base makeup

My last pressed powder by Soap and Glory, One Heck of a Blot Mattifying Powder (9 g, £12), is now used up. I stocked up on this lovely product when I was in London many years ago and now I have used all of them up. I can highly recommend it if you like a translucent pressed setting powder and can get your hands on it.

Following with two Lumene base items, one being the Under Eye Concealer (5 ml, 149 SEK). This exact packaging does not seem to be available anymore but they have a similar product in their line. It worked well for me but it is not available in any other shades. It’s an apricot corrector type shade but I have a hard time thinking this would work for everyone. I will not repurchase.

The Blur Foundation (30 ml, 199 SEK) in “0 Light Ivory” has been repurchased over the years but Lumene has changed the shades, the formula and even the artwork for this product so many times over the past years that I have lost count. Every time I repurchase there seems to be a new version of the same product/shade. This version of Light Ivory was way too pink for me and I have another one in rotation and surprise surprise, it’s different. I currently have both “0” and “00” and this time around the formula seems to be thicker. The shade match is better now but neither of them are the perfect match. I am a bit over trusting Lumene with this foundation since it is so inconsistent in shade and formulation. I will use up the two tubes that I have and that’s it.

Mascara & brows

After trying to find an option for the Lash Power mascara by Clinique I found out that Surratt made tubing mascaras and wanted to try them out for myself. First i bought the Pointilliste Mascara (2 g, 300 SEK) by mistake, not realising it was such a small tube and therefore also a small amount. It is aimed to be used for the lower lashes and has a tiny brush, but I could use on the top lashes as well. But the price point is ridiculous for such a tiny amount of product. When the Relevée Mascara (6 g, 320 SEK) cam in stock I bought it and used them both simultaneously. Now that I have finished both I will only repurchase the Relevée but I will clean and save the brush for Pointilliste. As with most tubing mascaras the result is quite basic but I do find that Relevée is buildable if I wait a little bit before applying more. Not too long so that the mascara dries, but just going back and forth between both eyes a bit allows it to build somewhat. Not a fat lash by any means, but thicker and a bit more definition. I did suffer a tiny bit of fallout “smudge” on some days but nothing that bothers me at this point. I enjoy this product and as mentioned I have repurchased. The packaging is sleek and the brush is nice and slim, just how I like it. The big draw-back is the price tag. I am not too happy with 320 SEK for a consumable like this but it will do for now.

That was it, six months of used up products. I’m currently very uninspired by skincare and there are few brands that pique my interest nowadays. I’m looking to try some more items from Josh Rosebrook, M Picaut and Pixi. I’m also looking at Swedish brand Acasia since I’ve not tried any of their products but heard good things about them. But what I really long for is to not have to experiment and try new skincare products a lot, but rather to find my core basics from brands that I like. And with a little luck those products will last me a long time so that I do not have to repurchase all the frakking time. Until then..

Thanks for reading!

The time has come to to go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the second half of 2020, July-December, and to summarise the year. A total of 25 items and many of them old favourites and repeat purchases.

For reference I am 39 years old with a dehydrated combination skin. I get the occasional breakout and can get quite shiny during the day. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies.

Cleansers

The Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion by Weleda (75 ml, 149 SEK) was originally purchased as a mild option to use to cleanse my daughters face when needed. But we rarely used it and I felt that we were running the risk of it going bad before we used it up, so I started using it myself. It is a rich cleansing lotion and I loved the consistency. Easy to spread all over the face and I did not need much for a full cleanse. But despite that fact the tube is way too small to last me a longer period of time. The almond smell is not a favourite either but it was not a defining issue for me. I can see me buying this again for my kid but not for myself.

The Moisturising Cleansing Cream by Lumene (150 ml, 99 SEK) is their option for dry skin and this was my first time trying this specific cleanser. It is a thicker cream, lovely to the touch, with a creamy and fresh yet mild scent that did a fine job as my only cleanser in the morning or as a second cleanser in the evening. The cream was quite thick and albeit that in-itself is not a problem I did find that it was not as easy to spread all over the face as I would like. I had to use more product than I prefer each time and the tube was used up fairly quickly. The low price point is of course appealing and compensates a bit. This was my first time using this specific cleanser from Lumene and I might repurchase sometime in the future, but until then my search for a new favourite cleanser continues.

We have one bottle of Bioderma Sensibio Make-up removing micelle solution (250 ml, around 100 SEK), still a nice product to have for a quick cleansing solution or when I have stubborn makeup that need an extra round of cleansing before dissolving completely. I use this product more rarely these days but I rely on always having a bottle at hand.

The Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm by Farmacy (90 ml, around 400 SEK) is an established favourite and I shared my thoughts on it in this post from 2019. Apparently it is sold in an 100 ml jar nowadays and I would definitely buy this again. It is a dream to use and smells divine, but I still wish it would last me a little bit longer for that price tag.

The Nordic-C Pure Glow Cleansing Balm by Lumene (125 ml, 179 SEK) was a new product for me and it was merely ok. I prefer to be able to use my cleansing balms around the eyes since I use them only as a first cleanser when wearing makeup and this balm is not suitable around the eyes (it also says so on the tube). This limits the product’s use for me so I will not be repurchasing.

Toner & mists

I usually mist my face after cleansing before I apply serums etc, both in the morning and evening. I must say I do enjoy the Nordic-C Glow Refresh Hydrating Mist (50 ml, 99 – 129 SEK) and the Nordic Hydra Facial Mist (50 ml, 99 SEK) from Lumene. They have a fresh smell and there has never been an issue with the mister function, a big plus in my book. This smaller bottle size is convenient when travelling, but Lumene also do both mists in a 100 ml bottle. These mists do the job and I have repurchased the Nordic Hydra one. But when that is finished I think I will switch to the Hydrating Accelerator from Josh Rosebrook again. I want to give it another go in the larger bottle.

Essence & serums

There seems to be a theme – two tubes of the Rose Caviar Essence by Pixi (45 ml, 399 SEK) emptied in six months yet again. I continue to use this product twice daily to layer hydration and this year I have used up a total of four tubes of this essence. I still make a point to only purchase it when I have a discount to lower the cost a bit, since I am not really interested in letting this baby go. I love the packaging, the texture, the scent and the effect. So I deem it worthwhile for now.

Another recurring star is the Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence by Lumene (30 ml, 289 SEK). Nothing has changed with this one either, I go through these quite quickly and try to buy and even stock up when there is a discount. I have used up only two bottles this year but I think the truth could be closer to three bottles a year. As with the Rose Caviar Essence, I like everything about this product except the price. Despite that I have no intention to stop using it.

Then we have more of a treatment serum – Salicylic Acid 2% Solution by the Ordinary (30 ml, 69 SEK I think but it is not currently available) is an BHA exfoliating product aimed at breakout prone skin and that is not really me. I have sporadic spots and the occasional large inflamed one but it’s not really a problem. I used this serum in the evenings on days when I had some break-outs, but I can not really attest to how effective this serum is since I ended up being a very infrequent user. I also think I prefer using a thicker spot treatment to heal an angry on one occasion so this will most likely not be a repurchase.

Moisturisers & oils

It took me a while to use up this tube of Natural Moisturizing  Factors + HA by The Ordinary (30 ml, 69 SEK) because I use it quite infrequently. For example I might wear it as a surface hydration layer it I use an SPF without any skincare benefits and want something layered under it. I might wear it as a last moisturising step when other finishing products do not seem appropriate (because they are too heavy or contain SPF for example), usually in the daytime. This is the third tube I have used up and I have another tube in line to take this one’s place. But I will most likely wait until spring before I feel the need to open and start using it.

The Age Repair Eye Cream by Grown Alchemist (15 ml, 620 SEK) is another recurring product and albeit being expensive it lasts at least six months, maybe more. The pump makes it really easy to dispense the tiny amount needed for both eyes and it wears beautifully under makeup. It makes my eye area feel hydrated but never greasy. I have another bottle in use right now and as per usual I only purchase this when I have a 20% discount code to get the cost down a bit.

I wanted to try the Nordic Hydra Day Fluid SPF 30 UVB/UVA PA+++ (50 ml, 219 SEK) by Lumene when it was first launched but only got down to business this past year. And I am so glad I finally tried it. I have combination skin and even as I get more dehydrated with age, I still have an issue with makeup melting off my face. So in the sunnier part of the year I have an issue with sunscreen under makeup, since it tends to make the melting issue worse. This day cream worked well for me in the daytime on most days since I spend so little time outside when the sun shines its brightest. Makeup layered beautiful over it and I felt that it did not leave a greasy film or a white cast or anything I normally expect from a sunscreen. The texture more creamy than fluid, the smell was fresh and I appreciated that is was in a tube. I will definitely purchase this again in the coming months when the sun makes a proper appearance again.

The Overnight Retinol Oil by Pixi (30 ml, 399 SEK) is another new acquaintance. I have not used many retinol products so I cannot compare at all but as a night time treat is was very nice. The oil easily sinks into the skin and some nights I felt the need to add a cream on top and some nights I used it as my last or only layer. It leaves my skin feeling nice and healthy and I have had no adverse reactions. This oil smells amazing, like a sour candy, but it did begin to turn rancid when I was beginning to near the end of the bottle. So the 6 month shelf-life indicated on the bottle is about right. I used this product a few nights a week and when this bottle was empty I did purchase another one, currently in use.

I’ve used the Hydration Rescue 24H Replenishing Balm by Lumene before and this time I bough the Hydration Recharge Overnight Cream (50 ml, 209 SEK) by the same brand and the same series, Nordic Hydra. A lovely cream for my hydrated combination skin. Perfect in the evening as a last step, over serums or over an oil. I have repurchased another one of these and use it daily,

Masks

The Active Enzyme Exfoliator by Josh Rosebrook (45 ml, full price unknown but I purchased it at a sale for 499 SEK) is a dark brown mask with particles that is massaged onto skin and then left for 10 minutes up to one hour. The smell makes me think of liquorice and I found that the application easily got messy. I must admit when purchasing this I did not realize that it had a mechanical exfoliation element to it. I normally prefer my exfoliants to be fully chemical so I have been a sporadic user of this product. Sad but true. It was a splurge purchase with money I received for my birthday and it did fill the purpose of a luxury treat. I’m glad I tried the product but I’m not going to purchase it again.

Base makeup

The Nabla Close-Up Smoothing Pressed Powder (11,5 g, € 22) has been getting rave reviews online and I was so keen to try it that I almost deemed it as a favourite beforehand. And I understand why a lot of people enjoy this powder but it’s not the one for me. I do enjoy the sleek rose gold compact, it is very beautiful and has a lovely sized mirror. I like Nabla as a brand and the price-point is nice. The gist for me is the finish this powder gives my skin. After using it for a while I started noticing that it ever so slightly changed the shade of my foundation after application. It made my skin look slightly darker and “flat” in a strange way. I have never experienced anything like it with a powder. The shade of the powder is not the issue but rather the appearance the finish gave, not my fave. I really wish I liked it more but this is sadly not the new favourite as I was hoping for.

The Lumene Blur Foundation (30 ml, 199 SEK) in “00 Ultra Light” is way too pink for me to be a perfect match. I have previously used up the shade “0 Light Ivory” and repurchased and I love the formulation in general. But Lumene has changed the shades for this product (and the artwork) many times over these past years. Every time I repurchase there seems to be a new version of the same shade. I’m currently using a way too pink version of Light Ivory and it will soon be finished, so I recently purchased both shades again. The shades seems to be altered again so we shall see if they match me better this time around or if they are a bit off still.

The Hydra Veil by Illamasqua (mini sample, gift with purchase) is a lovely hydrating primer, the type of primer I think really improves the application of foundation on my skin. This was my last sample size and I do not think I will repurchase since I still prefer my primers to be in a tube or something similar.

The Viva La Diva conclealer in “2 Naked” (3 ml, 89 SEK) was an attempt to find a replacement for my old favourite, the Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in “Fair 1” by Collection, that I sadly cannot get a hold of in Sweden. I’ve tried the shade “1 Pure Light” as well but neither work for me. They turn up way too pink and a tad too dark. I also did not get along with the scent of this concealer. A no-go for me.

The Hello Fab Bendy Avocado Concealer by First Aid Beauty (4,8 g, 240 SEK) was a better colour match and it is a nice and creamy concealer. However it started to go off quite quickly and before I could really finish it. I persisted despite the smell for a while and there was very little left in the tube when I gave up, but I consider it “done”. In all fairness I did have several concealers in use at the same time and might have had it open for longer than recommended, I do not really know or care. I do not see this product as one that go bad quickly and I might even repurchase in the future, but for now I’m trying other brands.

Mascara & brows

Two more empty Lash Power mascara in Black Onyx (6 ml, 245 SEK) by Clinique is standard for me. It’s been my go-to for a while now. It’s the one mascara that I’ve found that smudges the least and I really love the small brush applicator. But as I mentioned in my last empties post I feel like it has become more prone to smudging in recent years and I’m not sure if it has changed formulation or if there is another explanation. However this fact has led me to start the hunt for a replacement go-to mascara, a quest I’m not too keen to embark on. Mascara for me is a boring basic product that should work well but I do not want to spend any effort on it. One reason for that is the fact that tubing mascaras are the only ones that work on my lashes and tubing mascaras are generally very basic and unexciting. So here I am, looking to replace Lash Power but knowing it is a tough role to fill since I want something that does not smudge, has a lovely small brush AND I wish the price was less than the Clinique one. Tough indeed! We shall see how it goes but you can expect to see some new mascaras in coming instalments of The Used Up.

Then finally, we have a sad story. I had just deemed this brow gel my favourite budget find and then it was discontinued! As mentioned in my last empties post, the Brow Perfector in “Espresso” by H&M (4 ml, approximately 80 SEK) is no longer available. It was a lovely affordable brow gel with an ok hold, a nice cool dark brown colour and a small brush. Generally a great product for me. As with mascara, I just want something nice and basic. Does not have to be all that but I just want something I can rely on. So as well as having to spend time and effort to find a new mascara I also have to try and find a new brow gel. Sad times for me (not really!). It’s just so boring to try new brow products and I’m really not looking forward to it.

2020 empties wrap-up

Now it’s time for my favourite part, the yearly statistics. This year we can compare the numbers with 2019 so I am including the numbers from last year in brackets.

To summarise 2020 I managed to finish up 11 cleansers (8), 1 toner (0), 3 face mists (5), 8 essences/serums (11), 2 eye creams (1), 5 face creams (4) where one contained SPF, 1 oil (0), 1 mask (2), 3 face primers but two were minis (2), 1 eye primer (1), 2 powders (3), 4 concealers (1), 2 foundations (3), 4 mascaras (2), 4 brow gels (1), one lipstick, one lip primer and one cream eye shadow. 55 products in total for skincare and makeup compared to 49 in 2019. The categories are not exactly the same between the two years, for example one category I had last year that was missing this year was primers with SPF (3 in 2019) due to having the Lumene Day Fluid and other SPF’s.

The above numbers are things that I consider to be skincare or makeup but it’s worth noting that I am excluding sunscreens for the face from this summary. Of course I use other sunscreens but unless it is a face cream with SPF and skincare benefits I’m not going to include them in the Used Up posts. The main reasoning for that is that I share my sunscreens with my family and I cannot be bothered to keep track of that in any way shape or form. Also, I have previously included the soap I’m using to clean my brushes with but I’m not going to do that anymore. It’s not something I’m interested in tracking.

The value of the products used up this year (if purchased at full price) is around 13 500 SEK, and that is basically the same amount as last year. Of course all of these items were not purchased in one year and some were gifts from friends/family and many were bought with a discount. The point is not to conclude how much I have spent but rather to highlight the “worth” of the products I actually use up in one year. The average per item is still around 260 SEK so the average on consumables is unchanged at approximately 1100 SEK per month.

I will continue to do these bi-annual instalments of the Used Up so that I can keep track on how many products I go trough, how long they last me and my opinions on them. I find it to be a fantastic way to chronicle what I use and spend my money on. I will keep on focusing on skincare for the face and makeup and exclude other SPF’s and products for body, hair and nails.

Thanks for reading!

Time to go through all of the makeup and skincare items that were used up by me during the first half of 2020, January-June. A whopping total of 30 items, whereas half of them are makeup items. I’ve been making a conscious effort to use up basic makeup items before buying a replacement and I must say it is very satisfying to see them actually empty.

For reference I am 38 years old with a combination skin that is dehydrated. I get the occasional breakout and can get quite shiny during the day. My skin rarely reacts badly to products and I have no allergies.

Cleansers

I managed to use up a total of six cleansing products during this period. The Rose Cream Cleanser by Pixi (135 ml, 279 SEK) has been a favourite for a while as my first cleanse in the morning and second cleanse in the evening. It has been a continuous repeat repurchase for me and even though I still love it I have not bought another one since finishing my last tube. I’m trying to find a cheaper option since I go through them a bit too quickly for my liking.

I’ve always been interested to try the Renaissance Cleanser by Oskia (100 ml, 410 SEK) since it’s been held in high regard by many content creators in the beauty realm. So I finally bit the bullet. It’s a more pricey item but I did enjoy using it a lot. It had a lovely formula and my skin felt nice after using it. But the product did not last as long as I wanted it to do to justify the price. I might repurchase in the future but it will probably not be a recurring product in my cabinet.

Then we have my usual micellar water – Sensibio H₂0 by Bioderma (500 ml, 179 SEK) – in a larger bottle this time. I still use this very infrequently but I like to always have a bottle at hand.

The Squalane Cleanser by the Ordinary (50 ml, 99 SEK) was an attempt to replace the Pixi cleanser. I enjoyed this product well enough but it ran out really quickly. It’s cheaper by the ml but I felt I needed more product to cleanse the whole face than with the Rose Cream Cleanser.

The purchase of the Gentle Cleansing Melt by Evolve (120 ml, 299 SEK) was an attempt to find an option for my favourite cleansing balm, the Green Clean Cleansing Balm by Farmacy (you can read my thoughts on it here). I’m trying to find an option that lasts longer and has a lower cost per use. No luck with the Evolve one sadly. It had a honey-like texture and was not as easy to spread over the face as the balms I’ve tried before. Also it was not as efficient in removing my eye makeup as I would like and the jar was used up rather quickly. It is not a bad cleanser by any means, but is not what I want or need. I would not repurchase.

Toner & mists

I’ve written about how I’ve been using the Glow Tonic by Pixi (250 ml, 299 SEK) as staple almost on automatic due to it being marketed so well. I have nothing bad to say about the product but I felt it was time to try something new. So after finishing this bottle I did purchase a glycolic acid toner from The Ordinary instead.

The Hydrating Accelerator by Josh Rosebrook (60 ml, 289 SEK) has also been fronted as an amazing product in the beauty community for a while. So naturally I was intrigued. I put the product on my wish list for Christmas and my wish was heard by my husband. I do like the product, it smells nice and felt hydrating. The mister was lovely as well. But I did feel like I went trough the bottle way too quickly compared to the cost. The bottle is quite small so naturally it is used up more quickly, but the price for that small bottle is the deal breaker. However, when looking at the Alice & White website (where I purchase Josh Rosebrook products) whilst writing this post I notice that they do not carry the 60 ml bottle anymore. There is a 120 ml bottle though and it is priced at 399 SEK. That is better value for money and since this is a more luxury brand with an focus on ethically sourced ingredients and sustainable packaging I think the price is warranted. But what I’m not sure of is if I need it in my routine. Right now I’m using a mist from Lumene that I like and I’m unsure if I will buy the Hydrating Accelerator again. We shall see..

Essence & serums

I am not surprised to see two Rose Caviar Essence by Pixi (45 ml, 399 SEK) in this post but since I use this product twice daily as a hydrating layer. But this is specifically one of those products I’m keeping my eye on to see how many I use in a year. At least four I suspect but it could be more. We shall see when the year is over and THE TRUTH WILL BE REVEALED!. Since I replace this so frequently I try to buy at at discount but I’m unsure if it is worth it all in all. Maybe.

Another staple is the Nordic-C Glow Boost Essence by Lumene (30 ml, 289 SEK). The situation is the same with this one, I go through these quite quickly and try to buy and even stock up when there is a discount. I still enjoy it immensely and use it every morning under the Rose Caviar Essence.

The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion by The Ordinary (30 ml, 129 SEK) was my first attempt at adding a vitamin A product to my skincare routine. This specific formula did not wow me in any way and I was a very inconsistent user due to not enjoying the consistency too much. So I can’t speak on its actual function due to that. I will most likely try other vitamin A products moving forward and who knows, I might try this again in the future.

Moisturizers

The 24K Eye Elixir by Pixi (9,3 ml, 349 SEK) was an attempt to replace my favourite (and pricey) eye cream from Grown Alchemist. It was fun to try something new but it is in no way a replacement. The formula is completely different, the Pixi one being a serum in a roller dispenser and the GA one is a light cream in a pump bottle. 24K Eye Elexir feels cooling as I roll it under my eyes and leaves the area feeling hydrated. But the product does not give me the moisturized and comforted feeling that I enjoy. It might be more suited to someone who gets puffy under-eyes and can get more benefits from this formulation and applicator.

Vital Balm Cream by Josh Rosebrook (45 ml, 889 SEK) made its first appearance in my life in the winter of 2018 when my skin acutely needed something heavier to survive the harsh weather. The cream saved me and was a joy to use. So the following year, last winter, I made the decision to repurchase again but I did so a bit prematurely. The weather never got to the same harsh point and I think my skin could have managed with something less “powerful”. I do enjoy this cream and it can last quite a while if one is mindful when using it, but it is so very expensive. Again, I think the Josh Rosebrook products warrants the price set but I do not think my skin needed all that expensive goodness this time around. The coming winter months might require a heaver cream again, but this year I think I will try another brand and see how I fare.

Another recurring product, one that I took a break from and then went back to, is the Hydration Rescue 24H Replenishing Balm by Lumene (50 ml, varying between 149-199 SEK). I stopped enjoying it suddenly and suspected they had reformulated it. After using other products for a while I purchased it yet again and somehow went on to enjoy using this cream once more. I use it as my nighttime last layer and I love the consistency, the smell and how it makes my skin feel. A good basic light yet moisturizing cream that is just enough for me. The price is great and a jar lasts quite a while.

Base makeup

Two face primers were used up and I have not repurchased any substitutes. Not due to me not liking them, but rather me wanting to use up all the primers that I own and evaluate what functions I actually want to have in my stash at all. This tube of Makeup Forever Step 1 Redness Correcting Primer (30 ml, 420 SEK) is not the first I’ve used up but rather my second or even third. I love this hydrating and colour correcting primer. I have quite a lot of redness in my face that I like to subdue so a green corrector definitely fills a purpose in my daily routine and it feels good to know that this one works well for me. I might purchase again in the future but I wish to explore some cheaper options first.

The Hydra Veil by Illamasqua (mini sample, gift with purchase) is a lovely primer. I have bought this in a full size previously and it’s a nice hydrating product. Adding something hydrating right before applying my foundation really improves the end result for me. But I must admit I prefer a tube to a jar.

The Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in “Y215” by Make Up Forever (30 ml, 475 SEK) used to be my favourite “skin like” foundation until I repurchased it and the colour was reformulated. It was suddenly a lot more pink than yellow and did not suit me anymore. I need a neutral shade or one that leans yellow to combat my redness and this sadly does not do the job anymore. I do like the formula still, it really looks amazing on the skin.

Loose Mineral Foundation in “Suede” by Cailyn (425 SEK) is another old staple. This is my second jar and the colour is lovely on me. However I do not really use loose mineral foundation on a regular basis anymore so I will not repurchase anytime soon.

The Viva La Diva conclealer in “1 Pure Light” (3 ml, 89 SEK) was an attempt to find a replacement for the other empty concealer in this post, the Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in “Fair 1” by Collection (price and amount unknown) that I used to buy in bulk when in London. Both are very cheap concealers and sadly I prefer the one I can not get a hold of anymore. The Viva La Diva is not my favourite. It has a smell that puts me off and the colour is not a good match for me, too dark and pink. The one from Collection is a great shade that really does the job of brightening my under eyes and adds extra coverage wherever needed. A creamy product where a little goes a long way.

Mascara & brows

Yet another empty staple product is my go-to mascara – Lash Power mascara in Black Onyx (6 ml, 235 SEK) by Clinique. It’s the one I’ve found that smudges the least and it has a lovely small brush. This past year I feel that is has started to smudge more but I do not know if it is an illusion or if they have done something to the formula. I’ve also tried the Flutter-to-Full version of Lash Power (9 ml, 280 SEK) and it does nothing for me. I have very straight and long lashes. There is no point in any fancy mascara effects. Nothing lasts on my lashes anyway.

The Brow Perfector in “Espresso” by H&M (4 ml, approximately 80 SEK) is a quite new favourite that I have repurchased and use daily. However, just last week I learned that it has been discontinued. It really makes me sad because it was a lovely affordable option with an ok hold, a nice cool dark brown colour and a small brush. A great product all in all. I’m a bit bummed that I will not be able to buy another one when I run out of the one in use.

The Sigma Tint + Tame Brow Gel in “Dark” (about 150 SEK) was another attempt at finding the perfect tinted brow gel and sadly not a product for me. Bulky packaging and the product itself was too watery. It smeared everywhere way too easily.

Finally we have the Blueberry Eyebrow Fixing Gel in “Transparent” by Lumene (5 ml, price unknown) that I purchased at a sale and that has since been discontinued. The brand has a similar product but I do not know if it’s the same formula in new packaging or a new formula altogether. It was an ok product, nothing amazing. I am keen to try another brow gel from Lumene if they have a coloured option that would suit me.

Miscellaneous makeup

Kiko makes some great eye shadow sticks. This is my second shade that I have used up, the Long Lasting Stick 8 Hour No-Transfer Eyeshadow in “05 Rosy Brown” (1,6 g, 69 SEK). My favourite shade of the two was not this one but “38 Golden Taupe”, a similar but slightly different shade. That gem was used up two years ago. But both shades were great all over the lid and up in the crease, no primer needed, and serving as a base that was perfect to tap a shimmering shadow on top of. Creamy enough to be easy to blend but set down well enough to not crease extensively. And that is a great feat since I have very, very oily eyelids. I really want to repurchase “38” in the future, I miss having this type of product at hand.

Eyeshadow Primer Potion “Anti-Aging” by Urban Decay (10 ml, 270 SEK) is ok but I do not think it’s my perfect one. As mentioned, I have seriously oily eyelids and most things crease on me at some point. This is my second tube I’ve used up and I have since tried another brand (Spoiler – it sucks!). I might purchase the UD one again in the future because I did enjoy how easy it it was to blend shadows over it, before it was completely set and therefore really popping the pigment.

Most of my lip liners are by MAC and they really benefit from being used together with this lip primer, the Prep + Prime Lip by MAC (14 g, 185 SEK). It gives a smooth and hydrated base that I’ve also found beneficial when using a matte lipstick for a lighter application. The primer has a more balmy finish and I do prefer that over using a more glossy product. I have actually repurchased this since running out, but I did wait a while to be sure that I really missed having a lip primer at all. And I did.

The last item of this post is actually a lipstick – the Fantastick lipstick by Linda Hallberg (26 g, 199 SEK) in “Goldstone”. Not every day one finishes a lipstick! This is an easy to throw on shade of warm pink that doubles as a cream blush. The formula is glossy in finish, a bit balmy in texture with lots of pigment. I did repurchase this specific shade and use it almost every week, but I do wish the shade was a bit more rosy, a bit more brown. A bit more like my lips but intensified. Not sure I will repurchase again.

Wow, that was a lot of products. I’m really enjoying summarizing my consumption in this way. Highlighting what items I really use, what I actually like and why. Skincare items are naturally what I go trough most often and I love keeping track. For me, skincare is more a means to an end, unlike makeup that is a life-long passion. My skin is my canvas, the base for my makeup, so naturally I want to take good care of it. And I cant deny that I enjoy using nice skincare and trying new products, but it is not one of my interests so to speak. So spending just enough on skincare is a goal. Just enough luxury, with a little newness and pretty packaging from time to time, combined with a focus on establishing a core of values adapted to my skincare needs and preferences.

I look forward to summarize the yearly stats after the New Year, but until then..

Thank you for reading!