If there’s one way to get trustworthy reviews of beauty products, it’s by seeing if the reviewer actually finished the entire product. There’s honestly no better vote of confidence that a fully emptied bottle, scraped-out jar, or cut-up tube.
Below, you’ll find a list of my recent empties from the second half of 2023—specifically things I enjoyed using.
And if you’re not sure what to do with your empty skincare/haircare/makeup products after you’ve used them up, check out my guide on recycling beauty empties!
Skincare I Would Repurchase
In no particular order…
Biossance Squalane + Amino aloe gentle cleanser
Is this the Youth to the People Green Juice Cleanser? No. But does it stack up well? Yes. I enjoy using this because it is one of those cleansers that foams up well, cleans the skin effectively, and does not strip your skin of all the natural oils. It’s perfect for my oily skin to create a blank canvas for the rest of my skincare steps. I used this one once daily, at night.
Purchase Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser: $28 for 200 ml
Salt and Stone Antioxidant Body Wash
The amount of lather and suds that this body wash makes is INSANE. I was rinsing out the empty bottle for recycling and it filled the entire sink with suds and soap bubbles everywhere. Just a testament to how good the surfactants are in this product!
The way this body wash smells so good! I got it in the bergamot and eucalyptus scent. I was obsessed with how it made my skin feel and smell. Great lather, great rinse-off properties. The only problem I had was how messy the nozzle area got over time. Not a dealbreaker, but it is something to point out.
Purchase Salt & Stone Antioxidant Body Wash: $36 for 450 ml
Byoma Balancing Face Mist
Byoma is such a great affordable skincare brand, and I love how they focus so much on improving the health of the skin barrier instead of just focusing on exfoliating (which is a common theme for a lot of skincare brands nowadays 👀). This mist had a decent sprayer nozzle (my winner for best sprayer is still the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Mist (rip) or the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist), but I loved the way it made my skin feel!
Purchase Byoma Balancing Facial Spray: $17 for 100 ml
The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Serum
If you’re looking for a hydrating serum that does not pill, that isn’t your typical hyaluronic acid, and that is extremely affordable, the Inkey List PGA Serum is your best bet. It’s got a slight smell to it (that quickly goes away after usage), but it glides onto the skin so easily. It quickly melts in and layers so nicely. And while it is true that you do not need a hydrating serum, I do love adding it as an extra step because what harm is it doing??
Purchase Inkey List Hydration Serum: $15 for 30 ml
Sunday Riley Good Genes (Lactic Acid Treatment)
If I had to say one of my holy-grail exfoliants that I keep going back to, it has to be this one. I used to enjoy the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow, but I just could never get past the smell of it. But the Good Genes has a more cushiony texture to it, and it is equally as effective. Beware though that this is a strong exfoliant and should not be used daily! I usually would apply this twice a week, and the bottle ends up lasting for a really long time because of that.
Purchase Sunday Riley Exfoliating Serum: $122 for 50 ml
Summer Fridays ShadeDrops SPF30
It’s honestly the way that I’ve gone through 6 bottles of this SPF in my lifetime. It’s the perfect mineral sunscreen that does not have a tint to it. I absolutely hate tinted SPFs because the shade never matches well and there’s a high chance of transfer to your clothes, etc if you do not set it. But the ShadeDrops Mineral Milk is also amazing as a primer or base product for a foundation-free makeup look. It just makes your skin look blurred, even, and smooth. I even apply this at night to use as a base product, even though it is meant to be a sunscreen!
Purchase Summer Fridays Sunscreen: $36 for 50 ml
Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask
I’ll be honest, it took me a really long time to get through this jar, and I definitely went past what the little open jar icon was showing. Oops. But it’s just such a huge fill weight (which I will never complain about, especially when Fresh in general is at such a high pricepoint). Another product that I think this feels very similar to is the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Masque. They’re both a thick cream that immediately melts into the skin to feel nourishing but not suffocating. The Fresh one has squalane too, which is going to help smooth and soften the skin (because it is similar to your skin’s naturally produced sebum oils).
Purchase Fresh Beauty Overnight Mask: $69 for 100 ml
House of Dohwa Rice Bran Sunscreen
Ripping the paper tube was so satisfying—plus it was super helpful in getting the last bits of product out. Love the design of this tube! But Credo refused to take it as an empty for their recycling program…
This SPF has such a nice lightweight feel with a natural/dewy finish. It’s not overly oil or slick. And I loved how it’s SPF50+ and PA++++ (meaning it is great for UVA protection, AKA the aging sun rays). The only thing to note is that it does have a strong floral fragrance that goes away after application. But it is very much in your face as you apply.
Purchase House of Dohwa Rice Bran SPF: $32 for 50 ml
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Moisturizer
This was the older formulation (that they initially launched). It’s basically the same formula as the new one, but they changed out one of the emollients (the moisturizing ingredients) so that it does not have a weird smell to it. So the new ones smell just like rose, but this older one smelled like rose and a little bit like the Squalane + Omega Repair Cream (iykyk). I like this one as a mid-weight cream (it’s heavier than the Squalane + Probiotic Gel Cream, but it is lighter than the Omega Repair Cream). It worked well on my oily skin as a daytime moisturizer.
Purchase Biossance Rose Brightening Cream: $56 for 50 ml
Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Superfusion Oil
This is a dense oil, so I would only use this at night, and I would alternate days—depending on what moisturizer or overnight mask I was using with it. I felt like my skin always woke up so plump after I applied this oil the night before. The one thing to note is that the collagen (I assume) leaves behind a chunky residue in the bottle as you get towards the end of the product. It’s a little weird looking, but it is still highly functional!
Purchase Charlotte Tilbury Facial Oil: $85 for 30 ml
True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil
In contrast to the Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Superfusion Oil, this one did not feel as thick. It’s more of a mid-weight oil, where you can feel it on your skin still, but it is not too heavy. I liked this, but the one thing to watch out for is that the color of the oil can stain your white pillowcases. Oftentimes, i would use this only on the front of my neck instead of completely around—solely to protect the pillowcases!
Purchase True Botanicals Facial Oil: $110 for 30 ml
Hanz De Fuko Claymation Pomade
As an Asian person with stick straight hair, I always have to rely on hair products that have high hold. The Claymation works well to keep my hair in place without locking it in like gel. It still has some movement to it, plus it is still malleable so you can rearrange your style during the day. It does feel a little sticky, but it doesn’t cover your hand in residue if you run your fingers through your hair.
Purchase Hanz De Fuko Hair Pomade: $23 for 2 oz
Final Recommendations
If you’re purchasing your beauty products on a budget (I know the feels), my 3 must-have products from this list would be:
If you’ve tried any of these products, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments which has been your favorite!
Affiliate links: please note that throughout this post, there are affiliate links. They do not cost you any money, but they help keep this blog running!